KARACHI: An anti-terrorist court Saturday ordered the release of former Sindh governor and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Imran Ismail after approving a report by the police declaring him “innocent”, Geo News reported.
Ismail was arrested in the case pertaining to vandalism and riots violent protest on Sharea Faisal, which erupted as a result of PTI Chairman Imran Khan’s arrest on May 9.
The court ordered the PTI leader’s release against surety bonds worth Rs50,000 and issued his release orders as well.
The investigation officer, in the report submitted to the ATC, stated that no evidence was found against the former governor in relation to the riots.
According to police sources, Ismail will be released from the jail in the evening today.
The police said that the PTI leader was arrested in the case of inciting violence and arson following Khan’s arrest by the Tipu Sultan police.
Following his release, as per sources privy to the matter, Ismail is expected to announce his departure from the party today along with five other members.
On May 19, the former Sindh governor was arrested by law enforcement agency personnel following the crackdown against the PTI from the Defense Phase 8 area of Karachi. The PTI leader was shifted to Karachi’s Darakhshan Police Station.
Earlier this week, an ATC remanded the politician to prison after an investigating officer produced the him before the administrative judge on the expiry of his two-day police remand.
An extension in his remand was also requested, but was turned down by the judge after which Ismail was sent to the prison with a direction to submit a charge sheet against him and others arrested in the case.
Ismail’s wife had moved an application before the court, seeking B-class facilities for her husband in prison. She stated that her husband was a taxpayer and had served as governor, due to which he was entitled to B-class facilities.
The PTI leader was brought to the court in an armoured personnel career amid tight security. Responding to journalists’ queries, he said there was no pressure on him to quit the party.
Earlier today, PTI’s former Sindh president Ali Zaidi jumped ship after announcing to quit politics and resigned from party positions.
In a video message, Zaidi said that he had joined politics for Pakistan and had already condemned the May 9 incidents.
“Pakistan’s armed forces are our pride and because of them, we sleep peacefully because they protect our borders. What happened [on May 9] was very wrong and everyone should be held accountable whoever may be involved in it,” said the PTI leader, who was shifted to Jacobabad jail last week.
The former federal minister said that after a lot of thinking he took the “difficult decision” of leaving politics.
If Ismail, too, decides to leave the party, he’ll join a long list of ex-PTI leaders who have, one after another, have decided to part way from the party owing to the ongoing crisis confronting the Imran Khan-led political entity.
