In five instances involving the D-Chowk protest, former federal minister Shehryar Afridi has been granted temporary release by the Islamabad Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC).

The proceedings pertaining to Afridi’s bail applications were presided over by Judge Abual Hasnat Zulqarnain at the Islamabad ATC.

Alongside his attorneys Sardar Musroof and Amina Ali, Shehryar Afridi made an appearance in court. He was permitted to mark his attendance and go by the court.

Sardar Musroof Advocate, Afridi’s attorney, asked the court to extend Afridi’s and the other co-accused’s temporary bail till February during the proceedings.

Afridi’s temporary bail in the five D-Chowk protest cases was then extended by the court till February 15.

According to reports, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) intends to hold rallies nationwide on Wednesday in support of its decision to declare February 8, the one-year anniversary of the general elections, a black day.

According to media sources, PTI founder Imran Khan has instructed all party lawmakers—including MPAs and MNAs—to plan and take part in demonstrations in their local communities on February 8 in order to draw attention to their complaints and issues.

In a recent meeting with legal advisors on Wednesday, Imran Khan expressed dissatisfaction with the performance of the party’s Information Secretary Sheikh Waqas Akram. The meeting emphasized the importance of party discipline and gave stern directives to abstain from any criticism of Maulana Fazlur Rehman, the head of the JUI-F.

It has also been suggested that the PTI engage opposition leaders in the demonstrations in order to win their support.

Party insiders revealed that the founder has urged leaders to ensure effective coordination and mobilised efforts in preparation for February 8.

A dedicated bike lane has been added on both sides of Ferozepur Road, which runs from the Canal to the Lahore Bridge, by Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz in a historic move.

The Lahore Development Authority (LDA) started this ambitious project, which aims to improve road safety and ease traffic flow on city roads by using colorful dividers to keep bikers away from the major roadway.

Director General (LDA) Tahir Farooq said that this work should mean a quick decrease in traffic accidents and an easier way for bikes to commute safely.

This announcement was made by the Chief Minister of Punjab, Maryam Nawaz, on her official X account, assuring that soon separate lanes for bikers would be commissioned across also major highways of all the districts of Punjab in a bid to help avoid accidents and make traffic easier.

On Ferozpur Road in Lahore, there is a bike lane. To avoid accidents and guarantee a smooth traffic flow, all other major routes in every district will also have a dedicated bike lane, insha’Allah. tweet.com/JEfVK3bgrU

Although there has been praise for the initiative’s goal, there are also complaints about its poor planning. The lack of alternate options for bus stops, which results in buses adhering to the traffic while picking up passengers, is only one example of the careless issues that the project has brought to light.

In addition to preventing adequate drainage, the additional bike lane may cause problems with waterlogging during the rainy seasons.

Additionally, the restricted access to the lane will cause issues for banks, stores, and gas stations along the route. Such public comments have been both hopeful and hesitant; hopeful that this was a modernization plan, but cautious that the plan itself has to be improved to address the aforementioned problems.

Local stakeholders have called on the authorities to review the project and make changes to minimize the worst outcomes.