Politics

HDT leader Hidayat Ur Rehman out on bail after over four months

Published

2 years ago

Farwa

SC grants bail against two surety bonds worth Rs300,000.
Rehman was arrested on January 13 on charges of murder.
Prosecutor was against bail, but SC refused his request.

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court Thursday accepted the bail plea of Maulana Hidayat Ur Rehman, the head of Gwadar’s Haq Do Tehreek, and ordered his release.

Rehman, who is being released on bail after more than four months, was arrested from Gwadar on January 13 on charges of murder.

A three-member SC bench headed by Justice Sardar Tariq Masood and comprising Justice Amin Ud Din Khan and Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar heard the case and granted bail against two surety bonds of Rs300,000.

During the course of proceedings, Advocate Kamran Murtaza, the counsel for Rehman, informed the court that the rights movement leader was arrested from court premises.

He said that his client had been incarcerated since December 2022. Upon this, Justice Tariq asked why did he not challenge the arrest from the court premises.

The counsel replied that at the time of Rehman’s arrest, such actions had not been declared illegal by the apex court, adding that the precedent was set following the arrest of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan.

The prosecutor general argued that Rehman should not be granted bail until the main accused was sent on judicial remand.

Yasir Ali, the accused who shot at the slain policeman Majid Johar, had been arrested, he added.

Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar asked if Rehman was accused of aiding and abetting the murder of a police officer. The counsel replied that the facts would be determined during the trial.

He said that his client’s movement was related to the provision of water for the people of Gwadar.

The court, after hearing arguments, rejected the request of the prosecutor general and granted bail to the HDT leader.

The arrest and protests

A heavy police contingent present outside a local court in Gwadar arrested the HDT leader and three others, including Naseeb Nosherwani and Hassan Murad, in January.

The HDT leader was nominated in the first information report (FIR) of the death of a police constable — Yasir Saeed — who was killed by unknown assailants on November 27 during a protest in Gwadar.

The police, in a statement, said a bullet hit the constable in the neck and he died on the spot. Following this, Balochistan Home Minister Ziaullah Langove ordered the police to register a case against the HDT leader.

The FIR, in which Rehman and others were nominated, alleged that the HDT leader provoked and incited people at the protest to pelt stones at government vehicles, following which the people threw stones and shattered the windowpanes of a police officer’s car.

The Gwadar protests, in which the unfortunate incident took place, had a wide range of demands and had been going on for two months under the HDT leadership.

The protestors were demanding a reduction in the number of check posts, easier border trade, and a total end to deep-sea fish trawling in the sea next to Gwadar.

Latest News

PTI suggests resuming talks with government over judicial commission issue.

Published

1 week ago

Farwa

Barrister Gohar, Chairman of the PTI, has claimed that the party’s founder has suspended negotiations, emphasizing that the government should declare the commission within seven days.

He emphasized the PTI’s openness to rethink if the government makes headway and establishes the commission.

Barrister Gohar told the reporters, “Seven days were enough to announce the commission.” We are ready to reconsider, but the government must first announce the commission.”

He stated that the PTI approached the negotiations with an open mind. “The PTI founder has halted the negotiations. “The government had eight laws on their agenda, while we only had two demands,” he stated.

The PTI chairman went on to say that even after seven days, no progress had been made in forming the commission. He encouraged the government to reconsider the decision and proceed with the announcement.

Latest News

PTI will declare February 8 to be “Black Day,” sparking protests across the country.

Published

2 weeks ago

Farwa

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.

Latest News

In 13 cases involving the D-Chowk demonstration, Bushra Bibi granted temporary release until February 7.

Published

2 weeks ago

Farwa

Bushra Bibi, the wife of the PTI chairman, was granted temporary release by the Islamabad Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) in 13 counts pertaining to the November 26 D-Chowk protest. Judge Tahir Abbas Supra ordered the police to produce all pertinent documentation by February 7 and granted bail against surety bonds of Rs. 5,000 apiece.

Additionally, Bushra Bibi was given temporary release until February 7 in the Rangers’ accident case. During the hearing, Judge Tahir Abbas Supra expressed disappointment over the behavior of the defense counsel on two occasions. Addressing the lawyers, he remarked, “You demand VIP protocol everywhere, but this is not possible. Prepare your files properly before coming to court.”

Three cases at the Secretariat Police Station, two each at the Margalla, Karachi Company, and Ramna Police Stations, and one each at the Tarnol, Kohsar, Aabpara, and Khanna Police Stations are among the numerous charges against Bushra Bibi.

In addition, the judge chastised the defense team for requesting that Bushra Bibi sign and thumbprint blank documents. He said, “The accused must sign and thumbprint the court orders, not blank sheets.”

Bushra Bibi also went to the Islamabad High Court to have her biometrics verified in relation to her appeal to be exonerated in the Toshakhana-II case. On Monday, Bushra Bibi and the PTI chairman submitted their acquittal petitions. After finishing the biometric procedure, she departed right away.