PESHAWAR: The Peshawar High Court (PHC) on Friday accepted a petition seeking transit bail for Akhunzada Hussain Ahmad, central spokesman for the Tehreek Tahafuz-e-Aain Pakistan (TTAP), and directed him to appear before the relevant court by August 13.
A two-member bench comprising Justice Waqar Ahmad and Justice Kamran Hayat Miankhel heard the petition. Advocate Ajmal Khattak appeared before the court on behalf of the petitioner.
The counsel told the court that his client was the central spokesman for the opposition alliance Tehreek Tahafuz-e-Aain Pakistan, which had held a protest in Islamabad over the prevailing situation in Azad Jammu and Kashmir.
He said a case had been registered against the petitioner in Islamabad for participating in the protest, with provisions of the Anti-Terrorism Act also included in the first information report (FIR).
The counsel said the petitioner wanted to appear before the court but feared arrest.The court accepted the petition for transit bail and directed the petitioner to approach the relevant court by August 13.
Talking to the media, Akhunzada Hussain Ahmad said the alliance had staged a peaceful protest in Islamabad in support of the people of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK). He alleged that the situation in AJK had remained disturbed for the past two months and people were being subjected to injustices.
He said thousands of people had participated in the peaceful protest, but the Islamabad administration had registered a “bogus FIR” against the protesters, including anti-terrorism provisions. He claimed that around 180 people, including Senator Mushtaq Ahmad Khan, had been detained by the administration.
“Registering cases against people for a peaceful protest is itself against the law,” he said, adding that the PHC had granted him transit bail.He said his group would continue to raise its voice for the people.
