Bushra Bibi - wife of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan - on Friday moved a pre-arrest bail application in another case linked to the party’s protest at D-Chowk in the federal capital.
The bail plea was submitted by her legal team in the court of Additional Sessions Judge Islamabad on November 26 in connection with a case pertaining to the alleged unlawful entry and demonstration of PTI activists in Islamabad.
Meanwhile, the Supreme Court has directed the investigating officer to visit Adiala Jail for Bushra Bibi’s interrogation and submit a report by February 17.
The case against her has been registered under the Peaceful Assembly and Public Order Act 2024, along with an Islamabad High Court order violation, which carries a potential sentence of up to three years in prison.
Court extends bail in multiple cases
The Islamabad courts also heard cases against Bushra Bibi and various PTI leaders related to the November 26 protest, granting further extensions in interim bails.
Bushra Bibi’s interim bail in a case filed at Ramna police station was extended until February 17. The hearing was presided over by Additional Sessions Judge Aamir Zia, while her counsel, Ansar Kayani, filed a plea seeking exemption from her in-person appearance.
The lawyer argued that as she was incarcerated in the £190 million corruption case and lodged at Adiala Jail, the police should be instructed to conduct her interrogation within the jail premises. The court subsequently granted the extension and adjourned the proceedings until February 17.
The Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) also took up cases related to the November 26 protests, hearing a total of 86 interim bail pleas. A total of 15 cases registered at different police stations were also processed during the proceedings.
The court accepted exemption requests filed on behalf of Bushra Bibi, Alia Hamza, Zartaj Gul, and several other PTI leaders. Bushra Bibi’s lawyer urged the court to permit her interrogation inside the jail and direct the Adiala Jail superintendent to facilitate the process.
Bail extensions in multiple police cases
Several interim bail extensions were granted across different cases, with deadlines ranging from March 7 to March 24. Cases registered at various police stations include:
Ramna police station (Cases 713, 995, 1193) – Extended till March 7
Karachi Company police station (Case 1195) – Extended till March 12
Secretariat police station (Case 321) – Extended till March 12
Khanna police station (Case 1769) – Extended till March 17
Kohsar police station (Cases 1033, 1032) – Extended till March 17 and March 21, respectively
Margalla police station (Case 714) – Extended till March 20
Aabpara police station (Case 1222) – Extended till March 24
Tarnol police station (Case 933) – Extended till March 24
Secretariat police station (Case 544) – Extended till March 24
A number of PTI leaders, including Sher Afzal Marwat, Salman Akram Raja, Shoaib Shaheen, Abdul Qayyum Niazi, Nadia Khattak, and Rauf Hassan, have been named in these cases.
Among the lawyers representing the accused were Sardar Muhammad Shubhishek Khan, Amna Ali, and Ansar Kayani.