Askari Tower attack case: Lahore ATC grants police two

A Lahore anti-terrorism court (ATC) granted police two-day physical remand of incarcerated PTI leader Dr Yasmin Rashid on Saturday in the case of vandalism at Askari Tower in Lahore on May 9.

Rashid is among several PTI leaders arrested in connection with the events of May 9, when PTI chief Imran Khan's arrest at the Islamabad High Court in the Al Qadir Trust corruption case sparked countrywide protests.

While the protests were under way, social media was flooded with footage of mobs vandalising public and private properties, including military installations.

The vandalism prompted a state crackdown on the PTI, leading to the arrest of several party leaders and workers. Among them, Rashid was initially detained under the Maintenance of Public Order.

The LHC had ordered her release on May 13, but she was re-arrested merely hours later in three more cases pertaining to May 9, including the Askari Tower vandalism case.

When the case was taken up by ATC judge Abher Gul today, the investigating officer contended that Rashid had been involved in vandalism at Askari Tower.

He requested the court for the PTI leader's physical remand.

Accepting his request, the judge directed the relevant authorities to present Rashid in court on June 12.

Rashid has already been discharged from one of the three May 9 cases she was booked in, but the Punjab government has moved the Lahore High Court to set aside the ATC order for her discharge.

On Saturday, a Lahore ATC also granted interim bail to PTI Vice Chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi till June 27 in three cases pertaining to May 9 riots and barred the police from arresting him.

ATC Judge Ijaz Ahmed Butter heard Qureshi's pleas for bail and provided him relief with the directives to submit surety bonds of Rs100,000 in each case.

Separately, a sessions court also granted Qureshi interim bail till June 27 and stopped the police from arresting him till then in a case pertaining to blocking a road and hate speech.

The case has been registered at Racecourse police station.

During the hearing, additional sessions judge Nadeem Hasan Wasir directed the police to present the record of the case at the next hearing and directed Qureshi to join the investigation.

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