Dramatic scenes unfolded in the Islamabad district and sessions court on Tuesday, as PTI leaders Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Asad Qaiser, and Asad Umar slipped away from the courtroom after their bail pleas in cases related to the May 9 riots were dismissed.
Additional Sessions Judge Tahir Abbas Supra dismissed the bail petitions of the PTI leaders. Qureshi and Umar had filed their bail pleas in a case registered against them at the Tarnol Police Station in the federal capital, while Qaiser had sought bail in a case registered against him at the Sangjani Police Station.
The PTI leaders arrived at the court separately, and in an attempt to avoid arrest, they stood at the doorstep of the courtroom to hear the verdicts. As soon as the judge dismissed their bail pleas, Qureshi and Umar hurriedly got into the same vehicle and managed to escape. Qaiser, however, had left the courtroom moments before the judge pronounced the verdict, which had been reserved earlier.
The PTI leaders’ escape from the courtroom sparked outrage among the public, with many people accusing them of using their political influence to avoid justice. The PTI leaders have denied any wrongdoing, and they have vowed to challenge the court’s decision in a higher court.