An anti-terrorism court in Lahore, presided over by ATC Judge Abher Gul, has extended the judicial remand of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf activists, including Khadija Shah and Aliya Hamza.
The decision comes in light of the Jinnah House attack case, and the court has directed the police to present the accused again on November 14th.
Khadija Shah, a prominent PTI activist and the daughter of former finance minister Dr. Salman Shah, remains under judicial custody. Her remand links back to the Askari Tower attack case, a consequence of the arrest of PTI’s chief and former Prime Minister, Imran Khan, on May 9.
The backdrop of May 9 Unrest
Post the detention of the former prime minister at Islamabad High Court, a wave of violent protests swept across the nation. The unrest wasn’t restricted to any particular region but echoed in remote and major cities.
PTI workers, agitated by their leader’s arrest, led these protests, prompting regions like Balochistan, Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Islamabad to call upon the armed forces to reinstate peace. Additionally, during one such protest, the Army installations and the Corps Commander’s residence in Lahore became the target of the enraged PTI workers.