ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC), Friday, extended the protective bail to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Shahbaz Gill in Masjid-e-Nabwi(SAW) desecration case.

A single bench of Chief Justice Athar Minallah extended the bail till May 9 after hearing a petition moved by Gill through his counsels, Faisal Fareed and Syed Muhammad Ali Bukhari advocates and also clubbed his petition with other identical petitions.

During the hearing, the IHC chief justice remarked, “They welcome the criticism but it would create anarchy if there is no respect of the constitution and state institutions.”

He added that there would be chaos all around if all things run on political narrative. In the beginning of the hearing, Shahbaz said that all of the judgments of this court were authored as per the constitution and he always respected them.

Gill stated that he never used the PECA Ordinance against anybody.

Justice Minallah said that the political parties used to create a public opinion and political leaders had a big role in this regard.

Later, the bench also granted an exemption to Shahbaz Gill from his personal appearance for the next hearing and deferred the hearing till May 9.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2022