An anti-terrorism court in Islamabad granted bail to 153 Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf workers, who were detained during a crackdown on protesters at D-Chowk on November 26.
The hearing, overseen by ATC Judge Abual Hasnat Mohammad Zulqarnain, reviewed petitions for 177 workers. Of these, bail was approved for 153 workers, while 24 applications were rejected.
PTI workers were represented by a team of lawyers, including Ansar Kayani, Sardar Masroof Khan, Mirza Aslam Baig, Fataullah Burki, and Murtaza Turi. Among the cases handled, 48 were filed at Karachi Company Police Station, with bail granted to 43 workers and five applications denied. At Tarnol Police Station, seven cases were filed; two workers were granted bail, while five were denied.
In the I-9 Police Station cases, bail was approved for nine out of ten workers, with one application rejected. For Case No. 1033, filed at Kohsar Police Station, bail was granted to 28 workers, while five applications were turned down. All 25 PTI workers with cases lodged at Secretariat Police Station secured bail.
At Margalla Police Station, out of 45 cases, bail was approved for 42 workers, while three applications were dismissed. Additionally, one worker registered at Kohsar Police Station was also granted bail. The court set bail conditions, requiring a surety bond of PKR 5,000 for each worker.
Earlier, on January 3, the Islamabad ATC had approved post-arrest bail for 250 PTI workers detained during the November 26 crackdown. In another development, 192 PTI members held in Jhelum district jail were released after their bail petitions were accepted.
The crackdown followed PTI’s nationwide protest call by Imran Khan on November 13, demanding the restoration of the party’s electoral mandate, the release of detained party members, and the reversal of the 26th Amendment, which Khan claimed had consolidated a “dictatorial regime.”
During the crackdown, multiple arrests were made, and several cases were lodged against PTI leaders. Islamabad’s police chief reported that over 1,400 individuals had been detained by the Islamabad and Rawalpindi police forces.
Human rights organization Amnesty International has urged a transparent investigation into the “deadly crackdown” on PTI supporters, calling for accountability and justice in handling the D-Chowk protests.
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