ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court has granted bail to five suspects nominated in the May 9 cases, as registered at the New Town police station in Islamabad.
A three-judge bench of the Supreme Court, headed by Justice Jamal Mandokhel and including Justices Hassan Azhar Rizvi and Musarrat Hilali, expressed dissatisfaction with both the police and the prosecution. Justice Mandokhel questioned whether participating in a rally or being affiliated with a political party should be deemed criminal activities. The apex court remarked that the authorities concerned were not arresting the “real terrorists” but are after those who take out political rallies.
He said that restrictions imposed on student unions and political parties had contributed to such problems.
Justice Rizvi asked about the evidence against the suspects and whether they were identified through CCTV footage. The investigation officer responded that the protesters had damaged the cameras at the Hamza camp and other locations.
Justice Mandokhel pointed out that this lack of evidence meant the case relied solely on police statements and questioned why terrorism charges were added without sufficient proof.
The government lawyer argued that the suspects had attacked the ISI camp. Justice Mandokhel criticized the lawyer’s understanding of terrorism, highlighting previous terrorist attacks and questioning whether rallies equated to terrorism.
The investigating officer claimed the suspects had attacked sensitive institutions as part of a conspiracy against the arrest of their leader.
Justice Rizvi remarked on the lack of evidence beyond police testimony, while Justice Mandokhel questioned the validity of the suspects’ identification before their arrest, suggesting that the police had mishandled the case.
Lawyer Sardar Abdul Razzaq argued that the suspects were innocently returning home when they were caught in the situation.
The court accepted bail for the suspects, each required to pay Rs50,000. The accused individuals, namely Owais, Saifullah, Nasrullah, Kamran, and Waqas, faced charges of vandalism and attack at the Hamza camp.
