Shah Mehmood, Asad Umar get pre-arrest bail

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court on Friday granted interim bail to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders Shah Mehmood Qureshi and Asad Umar in a case filed against them at the Tarnol police station following riots on May 9.

When IHC judge Justice Arbab Muhammad Tahir took up the case, petitioners’ counsel Ali Bokhari appeared before the bench.

The counsel told the court that his clients had reached the capital city on Thursday but they could not appear in the court on Friday because they feared for arrest before they were granted bail.

Justice Tahir said that the lower court has already dismissed their pre-arrest bails and under such circumstances, they could not be given bail without attendance.

After the arguments, the court granted bail to both the petitioners until July 10 against a surety bond of Rs100,000.

Meanwhile, the high court also sought records from the police concerned against the accused (petitioners) at the next hearing.

Earlier, a sessions court in Islamabad rejected the bail of the PTI leaders after which the duo escaped the court to evade arrest by police.