May 9 riots: ATC approves Sheikh Rashid's bail, orders release

• Court approves his bail plea for surety bond worth Rs200,000.
• Judge Malik Ijaz Asif also announces release of politician.
• Sheikh Rashid lost general polls from his coveted NA-56 seat.

RAWALPINDI: Awami Mulsim League (AML) chief Sheikh Rashid Ahmed, Saturday was granted bail by an anti-terrorism court in the May 9 riots case.

The court, which also ordered the veteran politician's release, issued its decision after judge Malik Ijaz Asif conducted the hearing of a bail plea filed by the AML chief, whose petition was approved for a surety bond of Rs200,000.

The senior politico was released from the Adiala jail in Rawalpindi following the court's orders.

Sheikh Rashid's bail and subsequent release orders come after he lost the February 8 general elections in his coveted Rawalpindi constituency after contesting for the NA-56 seat.

The senior politician was embroiled in a new case, booked at the new town police station in Rawalpindi, pertaining to the May 9 violence, which was triggered almost across the country after the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder and deposed prime minister Imran Khan was arrested in the £190 million settlement case.

Following the riots, hundreds of PTI workers and senior leaders were put behind bars for their involvement in violence and attacks on military installations. The AML chief was also one of the accused in the case.

Meanwhile, during the hearing of Sheikh Rashid's plea, no one appeared in the court on behalf of the prosecution, while the veteran politico's lawyers Sardar Abdul Razaq Khan and Sardar Shehbaz appeared in the court.

Earlier this week, the court had conducted a hearing on the bail applications of PTI senior leader Shah Mehmood Qureshi and the AML chief, adjourning it today (February 10).

During the last hearing, held on Tuesday, the court rejected the request of the police for the physical remand of Sheikh Rashid in three different cases. Instead, the judge discharged the politician in all three cases.

On the other hand, the hearing on the bail applications of Qureshi and Khan was adjourned till February 13.