LAHORE (Dunya News) – An anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Lahore on Saturday dismissed the interim bail petitions of former opposition leader Omar Ayub in three arson and vandalism cases, including the Jinnah House and Askari Tower incidents.
ATC Judge Manzar Ali Gill rejected the bail applications due to Ayub's absence from court. The court also denied a one-day exemption request submitted on his behalf.
The PTI leader had filed for interim bail in connection with three cases linked to the May 9 riots involving attacks on Jinnah House and Askari Tower. His previous interim bail had been granted by the same court, but the failure to appear resulted in the dismissal of all three applications.
It is important to note that the ATC had earlier convicted Ayub, along with other PTI leaders including Shibli Faraz, Sahibzada Hamid Raza Khan, and Zartaj Gul, in the May 9 arson and rioting cases. Following these convictions, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) declared all of them disqualified from holding public office.
In response to the ECP decision, the National Assembly Secretariat removed Omar Ayub from the position of Leader of the Opposition, and other MNAs lost their memberships in various standing committees. Similarly, the Senate Secretariat revoked Shibli Faraz’s status as Leader of the Opposition in the Senate.