Lahore ATC extends interim bails of PTI leaders in Azadi March vandalism case.

LAHORE -- A Lahore anti-terrorism court on Friday extended the interim bails of top Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) leaders in a case pertaining to alleged violations of Section 144 and attacks on law enforcement agencies on May 25 - the day PTI workers marched to Islamabad.

Last week, the court had issued non-bailable arrest warrants for PTI leaders Mian Akram Usman, Zubair Niazi, Imtiaz Sheikh, Mian Mehmood ur Rasheed, Shafqat Mahmood, Nadeem Abbas, Murad Raas, Mian Aslam Iqbal, Yasir Gilani, Dr Yasmin Rashid, Hammad Azhar, Andleeb Abbas, and Ijaz Chaudhry for "intentionally concealing themselves in order to avoid their arrest".

The order was issued at the request of the Punjab police. However, later, they were granted pre-arrest bail till June 17 (today).

During the hearing today, all the accused PTI leaders appeared in court except former education minister Shafqat Mahmood, who is currently convalescing because of a surgery.

When the court of Judge Abher Gul Khan resumed the proceedings, the counsel of PTI, Burhan Moazzam Malik, said that the police was not telling his clients why first information reports (FIRS) were registered against them.

"We will only be able to present our arguments when the police provides details of the accusation," he added.

The investigating officer told the court that some of...