Islamabad: In a significant relief for Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), the Islamabad High Court (IHC) has approved the bail of more than 120 party activists who were arrested in connection with the November 26 protest. The court has ordered their immediate release.
The hearing was conducted by Acting Chief Justice Sarfaraz Dogar and Justice Muhammad Asif, who reviewed the petitions filed by PTI workers. The court granted bail to the detained individuals, directing them to submit surety bonds of PKR 20,000 along with one guarantor.
Additionally, the court instructed the PTI workers to submit an affidavit at the police station, pledging not to engage in such offenses in the future.
The protest was part of PTI’s movement for the release of its founder and former Prime Minister Imran Khan. On November 24, PTI supporters, led by Imran Khan’s wife Bushra Bibi and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur, started a march from Peshawar towards Islamabad. By the night of November 25, they had reached the outskirts of the capital.
However, after entering Islamabad on November 26, clashes erupted between PTI supporters and law enforcement agencies, leading to deaths and injuries among both protesters and security personnel. Later that night, Bushra Bibi, Ali Amin Gandapur, and PTI leader Omar Ayub left the protest site via Haripur to Mansehra, while the protesters dispersed and returned home.
Following the protests, multiple cases were registered against PTI leaders, including Imran Khan, Bushra Bibi, and Ali Amin Gandapur, along with hundreds of party workers. These cases, filed under anti-terrorism laws and other charges, accused PTI supporters of damaging public and private property, assembling unlawfully, and blocking highways.
The Islamabad High Court’s decision to grant bail is seen as a crucial development in the ongoing political and legal battle involving PTI and its leadership.
