The special Anti-Terrorism Court, headed by Shabbir Hussain Chattha, has granted interim bail to Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N)'s President and former chief minister Shahbaz Sharif in the Sabzazar encounter case till December 8, instead till January 8.
Sharif appeared before the court, seeking the bail till January 8 since he needed time to run for his party election campaign, though, he said he was ready to court arrest voluntarily, he was not arrested. The court had issued notices to CCPO Lahore and SHO Sabzazar police station on a contempt application saying they were not obeying the court orders of arresting Mian Shahbaz Sharif who was declared proclaim offender. The two police officials were directed to file their replies by December 6.
The case was lodged on a complaint by Saeed-ud-Din alleging that his son Salah-ud-Din and four others-Wakeel, Waseem, Haider and Abdur Rauf were killed in a police shootout on Sharif's orders.
The court has so far charge-sheeted to former Lahore senior superintendent police Ahmad Raza Tahir, deputy superintendent of police Umar Virk, assistant sub-inspectors Zulfiqar Ahmad and Lala Roshan, head constable Noor-ul Hassan, and constables Abid Hussain, Shamshad Ahmad, Munir Ahmad, Muhammad Riaz and Hakim Ali. The trial court had already separated case of Mian Shahbaz Sharif.