The Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) Lahore has rejected the interim bail requests of PTI Members of Provincial Assembly, Hafiz Farhat Abbas and Sheikh Imtiaz Mahmood, in the case of burning of police vehicles outside Rahat Bakery. The hearing of the May 9 cases was held in Lahore's ATC. Admin Judge Khalid Arshad of the ATC heard the interim bail petitions of the accused. Advocates Salman Shahid and Pir Masood Chishti represented the defendants. The court granted interim bail to six PTI leaders against surety bonds of 200,000 rupees each, while the interim bails of Sheikh Imtiaz Mahmood and Hafiz Farhat Abbas were rejected. The court's decision stated that the accused were not named in the FIR but only in a supplementary statement.

The interim bails of MPA Rai Hassan Nawaz, MPA Rai Murtaza Iqbal, MNA Muhammad Ahmad Chatha, Chaudhry Asif Ali, Shakeel Khan Niazi, and MNA Bilal Ejaz were confirmed. After hearing the verdict, Hafiz Farhat Abbas and Sheikh Imtiaz Mahmood easily fled the court, and the police did not attempt to arrest them. Later, in a statement, Hafiz Farhat Abbas said that truth and justice will prevail. He stated that those who have rejected the interim bails should know that this was oppression. He also said that he will confront this fascism and go to the High Court against the decision.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan