ATC grants Shah Mehmood interim bail in terrorism cases until Feb 8

Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) Vice Chairman Shah Mehmood Qureshi was granted bail by an Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) on Wednesday after he surrendered in four terrorism cases.

Following in the footsteps of his party chief and other leaders, Qureshi appeared before the ATC — the first time since being nominated — and requested the court to grant him interim bail. Judge Shahrukh Arjumand, who heard the case, ordered the PTI vice chairman to submit Rs100,000 in surety bonds.

The PTI leader was named in cases regarding the 2014 attacks on Parliament House, Pakistan Television (PTV) building, former senior superintendent of police Asmatullah Junejo and violence on August 31, 2014, along with 28 other PTI leaders. He had been absconding for the last three years along with his party chief Imran Khan and other PTI leaders including Asad Umar, Shireen Mazari, and Aleem Khan.

In November last year, Khan had surrendered in four terrorism cases against him and was granted pre-arrest interim bail.

Umar, Mazari and Arif Alvi were also granted an interim bail against surety bonds worth Rs100,000 each, earlier this month.

The court issued orders to Qureshi, Umar, Mazari and Alvi to appear before the ATC on February 8.

Talking to the media after the hearing, Qureshi claimed that the cases against him were "baseless" and "politically motivated".

However, he insisted that institutions of state must be respected in order to strengthen the country.

Referring to PPP co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari's recent statement where he claimed a Seraiki province could solve many problems in Punjab, Qureshi said that the party could have formed a Seraiki province during its term from 2008-2012.

He also took a jibe at the PPP's claim to elect six Senators from Balochistan, wondering how a party that has no representation in the province, could elect six Senators from it. He advised political parties to refrain from horse-trading because it was an "ugly stain".

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