LAHORE - An anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Lahore on Wednesday confirmed the interim bail already granted to 10 lawyers, including Hassaan Niazi, the nephew of Prime Minister Imran Khan’s nephew, in Punjab Institute of Cardiology (PIC) attack case.
However, ATC Judge Arshad Hussain Bhutta extended the interim bail of three others till coming Monday as the required legal process could not be completed yet as the 13 accused lawyers appeared at the start of proceedings before the court.
During the proceedings, the court questioned the investigation officer about the completion of identification parade of all the accused.
The IO replied that process of identification parade of the 10 accused including Abid Hussain, Syed Zain, Muzammal Hussain, Ali Javed, Abdul Rehman Butt, Osama Mauz, Afzal Malik, Hassaan Niazi, Rana Adeel and Naeem Qamar, been completed.
He further submitted that identification parade of Sikandar Siddique, Muhammad Azam and Malik Haseeb could not be held yet. He also informed the court that photogrammetric test of the said three accused was also pending and their photographs and videos were required for the purpose.
Bail to 9 other lawyers also confirmed
Meanwhile, the defence counsel stressed for holding the identification parade of the remaining three accused.
Afterwards, the court confirmed interim bail of ten accused lawyers and extended interim bail of three others till Monday and directed for completing the required process.
On December 11, over 250 lawyers alleged rampaged through the Punjab Institute of Cardiology (PIC), beating up medics, nurses and damaging furniture and equipment at the facility. As a result, Shadman police had registered two FIRs against them. The incident had claimed three lives.
It is pertinent to mention that the prime minister’s nephew, who was among 200 lawyers who had gone underground to avoid arrest, had obtained interim bail in the case over a week after the PIC mayhem, denied his involvement in any offence.
He could not be arrested despite the police conducted multiple raids. On social media website Twitter, Niazi claimed had expressed regret over the attack on the heart hospital, and also demanded across-the-board accountability.