Marks attendance through video link: ATC extends Imran's pre-arrest bail in Zaman Park cases.

LAHORE -- An anti-terrorism court on Tuesday marked the attendance of former prime minister Imran Khan through a video link and extended his interim pre-arrest bail in two cases of violence and attacks on police teams outside Zaman Park.

Khan's counsel Barrister Salman Safdar told the court that the PTI chairman could not appear due to law and order situation. He said Khan already survived two attempts on his life.

He requested the court to mark the attendance of Khan through video link.

The counsel assured the court that his client would appear at the next hearing.

A deputy district prosecutor opposed the absence of the former prime minister and argued that the suspect was required to personally appear before the court for pre-arrest bail.

Plea for barring police from arrest referred to LHC larger bench

Judge Ijaz Ahmad Buttar allowed the application of Khan for one-time attendance through video link and extended his bail till May 19.

The judge turned down the request of Barrister Safdar to extend the bail till May 22.

Separately, the judge dismissed the pre-arrest bail of six PTI leaders in the Zaman Park violence and Zile Shah's murder cases as they failed to appear before the court.

They include Fawad Chaudhry, Mian Mahmoodur Rashid, Hammad Azhar, Farrukh Habib, Senator Ijaz Chaudhry and Omar Ayub Khan.

Meanwhile, Justice Safdar Saleem Shahid of the Lahore High Court on Tuesday referred to a larger bench a petition of former prime minister Imran Khan seeking a restraining order against police to arrest him in criminal cases of the May 9 riots.

At the outset of the hearing, the judge asked Barrister Salman Safdar about the non-appearance of his client (Imran Khan).

The counsel said the petitioner's presence was not necessary as it was not a matter of protective or pre-arrest bail. He said the petitioner wanted a relief in continuation of the orders passed by the Supreme Court and the Islamabad High Court.

However, he said, the petitioner would appear if required by the court.

He stated that the PTI chairman had...