D-Chowk Protest Case: Islamabad Court Grants Bail To 153 Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Workers

An anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Islamabad, presided over by Judge Abual Hasnat Mohammad Zulqarnain, granted bail to 153 Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) workers.

These individuals had been apprehended during a law enforcement crackdown on PTI protesters at D-Chowk on November 26. The court reviewed petitions from 177 workers, ultimately approving bail for 153 while rejecting the applications of 24 others.

A legal team comprising Ansar Kayani, Sardar Masroof Khan, Mirza Aslam Baig, Fataullah Burki, and Murtaza Turi represented the detained workers. Among the cases reviewed, 48 had been registered at the Karachi Company Police Station, with 43 workers granted bail and five applications denied. At Tarnol Police Station, 7 cases were lodged, resulting in bail for 2 workers, while five applications were dismissed.

Regarding cases filed at I-9 Police Station, bail was approved for nine out of ten workers, with one rejection. In Case No. 1033, registered at Kohsar Police Station, 28 workers received bail, while five applications were denied. Additionally, all 25 PTI workers with cases filed at Secretariat Police Station were granted bail.

At Margalla Police Station, 45 cases were registered, and bail was granted to 42 workers, with 3 applications rejected. Another worker registered at Kohsar Police Station was also granted bail. The court stipulated that each worker must furnish a surety bond of PKR 5,000 as a condition for bail.

Earlier, on January 3, the ATC had approved post-arrest bail for 250 PTI workers detained in connection with the same November 26 crackdown. Subsequently, 192 PTI members held at Jhelum district jail were released following the court’s acceptance of their bail petitions.

This series of arrests and detentions stemmed from a nationwide protest call issued by Imran Khan on November 13. The demonstrations were aimed at demanding the restoration of PTI’s electoral mandate, the release of detained party members, and the annulment of the 26th Amendment, which Khan alleged had entrenched an authoritarian regime.

The crackdown saw a significant number of PTI leaders and supporters arrested, with Islamabad’s police chief reporting that over 1,400 individuals had been detained by law enforcement agencies in Islamabad and Rawalpindi.

In response, Amnesty International has urged the Pakistani authorities to conduct a transparent and impartial investigation into what it described as a “deadly crackdown” on PTI supporters, emphasizing the need for accountability and adherence to human rights standards.

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