In a major legal relief for the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), the Lahore High Court (LHC) on Thursday approved post-arrest bail for party leader and former senator Ejaz Chaudhry in three separate cases linked to the May 9 riots.

According to media reports,  a two-member bench headed by Justice Syed Shahbaz Ali Rizvi granted bail in cases registered at Model Town (FIR No. 366/23), Naseerabad (FIR No. 1078/23), and Gulberg (FIR No. 1271/23) police stations.

The court had reserved its verdict yesterday, which was announced today, and granted a big relief to the PTI's former provincial president of Punjab. Earlier, the Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) Lahore had rejected Ejaz Chaudhry’s bail pleas, prompting him to file appeals in the Lahore High Court.

Ejaz Chaudhry had challenged the ATC’s decision on August 9 in connection with cases relating to arson, vandalism, and hate speech during the May 9, 2023, protests that erupted nationwide after the arrest of PTI founder Imran Khan. 

The trial court had previously sentenced PTI's provincial leader, Ejaz Chaudhry, to ten years of imprisonment in each of the three cases. With today’s ruling, the Lahore High Court has suspended those convictions pending further proceedings.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP)