ATC orders release of Omar Ayub, Raja Basharat

RAWALPINDI: The Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) has ordered the release of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders Omar Ayub and Raja Basharat following their earlier arrest despite being granted bail by the Peshawar High Court.

Arrested PTI leaders were presented before the court for their demand, however the court ordered to release them.

The court expressed strong displeasure over their detention, questioning, “Why were they arrested when the High Court had already approved their bail?”

On Thursday, the Rawalpindi police arrested Ayub, Basharat and Ahmed Chattha outside Adiala jail after charges were filed against them and other suspects, including the PTI founder in the GHQ attack case.

Read more: PTI founder, among 60 party leaders indicted in GHQ attack case

May 9 violence

The PTI founder Imran Khan was arrested on May 9, 2023, from the premises of the Islamabad High Court, where he was attending a hearing in a corruption case. Khan, who served as the prime minister of Pakistan from 2018 to 2022, was accused of receiving illegal gifts and assets from foreign countries.

Imran Khan’s arrest sparked widespread protests and riots across the country, as his supporters and party workers took to the streets to demand his release.

The PTI protesters attacked and vandalized several civil and military installations, including the General Headquarters (GHQ) of the army in Rawalpindi, the Jinnah House in Lahore, the Mianwali airbase, and others. The protesters also burned vehicles, blocked roads, and clashed with the police and security forces.