Court grants bail to TLP leaders Khadim Rizvi, Afzal Qadri

LAHORE: A bench of the Lahore High Court (LHC) on Tuesday granted bail to Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan chief Khadim Rizvi and another leader Pir Afzal Qadri in a case filed against them for violent protests.

The court has ordered the two leaders to deposit surety bonds worth Rs 0.5 million each for bail.

Lahore police had booked top brass of TLP including party s chief Khadim Hussain Rizvi and Afzal Qadri and lodged as many as 11 cases against them and 500 other unknown miscreants.

The two religious leaders were taken into ‘protective custody’ by police on Nov 23 last year, from Lahore as law enforcement agencies launched crackdown against workers of the group.

The government figures said, a total of 2,899 people were taken into protective custody from Punjab, 139 from Sindh and 126 from Islamabad during the crackdown.

The law enforcement agencies launched crackdown two days before the TLP announced to resume its protest against the Supreme Court’s verdict acquitting Aasia Bibi, a blasphemy accused.

The workers of of TLP and other religious parties took to the streets and blocked major roads and intersections through sit ins against the apex court verdict in different parts of the country.