Over 150 Workers of Imran Khan’s PTI Granted Bail by Anti-Terrorism Court in Pakistan
An anti-terrorism court in Islamabad has granted bail to 153 workers of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), the party of jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan, more than a month after their arrest during a nationwide protest.
An anti-terrorism court in Islamabad has granted bail to 153 workers of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), the party of jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan, more than a month after their arrest during a nationwide protest. The decision marks a significant development for the detained PTI workers, following a prolonged period of legal proceedings.
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Bail Granted to 153 PTI Workers Amid Ongoing Protests
The hearing was presided over by Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) judge Abual Hasnat Zulqarnain, who reviewed the petitions of 177 PTI workers. The court granted bail to 153 of the petitioners, while rejecting the pleas of 24 workers. The bail was granted against surety bonds of Rs 5,000 each.
The PTI workers were arrested in late November 2023 during protests following a call from Imran Khan for nationwide demonstrations on November 26. Khan, 72, had demanded the restoration of PTI’s electoral mandate, the release of detained party members, and the reversal of the 26th constitutional amendment. The protests, which saw thousands of PTI supporters gather in Islamabad, were met with a heavy police crackdown, leading to the arrest of more than 1,400 individuals.
Legal Developments and Ongoing Cases
This is the latest in a series of bail grants for PTI workers. Earlier in January, the ATC had granted bail to 250 protestors on January 3, and 192 workers detained in Jhelum district were released on January 6 after their bail petitions were accepted. Police have indicated that the cases of many other detained PTI workers are still being processed, with more bail hearings expected in the coming weeks.
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Imran Khan, who has been incarcerated at Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi since mid-2023, faces multiple charges. His party, PTI, has been in constant conflict with the federal government, particularly following the controversial general elections in February 2024. The November 26 protest was just one of several attempts by PTI to exert pressure on the government.
