Islamabad ATC grants interim bail to Bushra Bibi in 13 PTI protest cases

Islamabad: The Islamabad Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) has granted interim bail to Bushra Bibi, the former first lady, in 13 cases related to the PTI protests at D-Chowk, allowing her bail until February 7.

Bushra Bibi had filed a petition seeking interim bail in connection with the protests that took place at D-Chowk. The hearing was presided over by Judge Tahir Abbas Sipra, with Bushra Bibi represented by her lawyer, Khalid Yusuf Chaudhry.

During the proceedings, Judge Sipra expressed frustration with the lawyer for failing to bring the necessary case files, commenting, “You should bring prepared files. You are sorting out files here in my court.”

The lawyer for Bushra Bibi requested interim bail in all the cases with a hearing date set for February 7. When the lawyers attempted to have Bushra Bibi sign documents on plain paper, the judge showed his displeasure, stating, “You cannot expect VIP treatment everywhere. I have not made you wait. I was writing the judgement and paused to hear your bail applications. The court order will include the defendant’s signature and thumbprint.”

After the exchange, the court granted interim bail to Bushra Bibi in the 13 cases related to the D-Chowk protests, with a surety bond of Rs. 5,000 for each case. The court also instructed the police to present relevant records at the next hearing.

Bushra Bibi faces a total of 13 cases across various police stations in Islamabad, including three at Secretariat Police Station, two each at Margalla, Karachi Company, and Ramna, and one each at Tarnol, Kohsar, Abpara, and Khanna Police Stations.

The next hearing of the cases will be on February 7, when the court will review further developments and records provided by the authorities.