An Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) in Islamabad has granted pre-arrest bail to four Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) leaders in cases linked to a protest on 26 November and a demonstration outside the Supreme Court. The ATC bail for PTI leaders covers former National Assembly speaker Asad Qaiser, Atif Khan, Latif Khosa and Faisal Amin Gandapur.
ATC Judge Abual Hasnat Muhammad Zulqarnain heard their fresh pre-arrest bail applications on Monday and allowed them. The court directed each of the four leaders to furnish surety bonds of Rs5,000. Dawn reported the order and the case counts for each leader.
According to the court order, Qaiser received bail in nine cases. Khan received bail in four cases, Khosa in three cases and Gandapur in six cases. Added together, the order covers 22 cases across the four leaders. That spread shows why the applications mattered to the party: the cases were not a single file, but a set of linked protest cases that had kept all four men facing possible arrest.
The fresh applications followed a setback only a few days earlier. The same court had dismissed the pre-arrest bail applications of the four leaders because they had repeatedly failed to appear before it. They then filed fresh applications, and the court allowed them after hearing arguments from their counsel.
The sequence matters for what comes next. Bail before arrest does not end a case. It protects the accused from arrest while the case proceeds, subject to the court’s conditions. If they fail to appear again, the prosecution can ask the court to revisit the relief.
The cases relate to two events: the protest on 26 November and a demonstration outside the Supreme Court. The court order, as reported, does not set out fresh findings on the merits of those cases. It deals with the immediate question of arrest before trial. That distinction is worth keeping in view, because bail orders are often read as verdicts on the underlying allegations. They are not.
The same Dawn report notes a separate hearing fixed for 5 November in the Islamabad High Court (IHC). Justice Umer Majid Malik will hear a petition filed by members of the National Dialogue Committee (NDC), seeking permission to meet incarcerated PTI founder Imran Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi, at Adiala jail.
The petition is pending alongside objections raised by the Registrar’s Office. It was filed through senior lawyer Faisal Fareed Chaudhry by former federal minister Fawad Chaudhry, former Sindh governor Imran Ismail, Mahmood Baqi Molvi and Barrister Muhammad Ali Khan Saif. The interior secretary, the Punjab home secretary and the superintendent of Adiala jail are named as respondents.
The 5 November hearing sits in a wider week of Adiala-related court activity. Feature Pakistan has reported on Barrister Salman Safdar meeting Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi at Adiala jail after seven months. That meeting, held on Monday afternoon, lasted about 40 minutes and covered fresh legal instructions. The bail order and the meeting petition are separate matters, but both turn on access: access to the courts for the four leaders, and access to Adiala for the dialogue committee.
For PTI, the order removes an immediate legal pressure point. Four senior figures can now attend party work and court hearings without the threat of arrest in these cases hanging over each appearance. Qaiser, as a former speaker, carries particular weight in the party’s parliamentary wing. Khosa, a senior lawyer, is also central to its legal strategy. Their ability to move and appear in court affects how the party handles its other pending matters.
The order also tests the party’s discipline on court attendance. The earlier dismissal rested on repeated non-appearance. The fresh relief came after counsel argued the applications again. If the leaders now attend regularly, the cases can move towards trial on their merits. If attendance slips again, the same issue will return, and the court will have its own earlier order to point to.
The wider political committee has also been active in the same period. Feature Pakistan has reported on PTI denying factionalism and warning over party discipline. The committee has demanded meetings of Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi with family members and the release of detained leaders and workers. Court business around PTI figures has continued on other fronts too, including the government’s call for dismissal of Hassaan Niazi’s LHC petition and the LHC seeking reports on Imran Khan’s sisters’ detention.
Frequently asked questions
Who received pre-arrest bail from the ATC?
Asad Qaiser, Atif Khan, Latif Khosa and Faisal Amin Gandapur received pre-arrest bail. ATC Judge Abual Hasnat Muhammad Zulqarnain granted the relief after hearing their fresh applications.
How many cases does the bail order cover?
The order covers 22 cases in total: nine for Qaiser, four for Khan, three for Khosa and six for Gandapur. Each leader must furnish a surety bond of Rs5,000.
Why were earlier bail applications dismissed?
The court had dismissed the earlier applications a few days before because the four leaders had repeatedly failed to appear before it. They then filed fresh applications, which the court allowed after hearing their counsel.
What cases are involved?
The cases relate to a protest on 26 November and a demonstration outside the Supreme Court. The bail order deals with arrest before trial and does not decide the merits of those cases.
What is the IHC hearing on 5 November about?
The Islamabad High Court will hear a National Dialogue Committee petition seeking permission to meet Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi at Adiala jail. Justice Umer Majid Malik will hear the petition, which is pending alongside objections from the Registrar’s Office.
