Omar Ayub denies talks with govt after securing bail extension

RAWALPINDI: An anti-terrorism court has extended the pre-arrest bail of Opposition Leader in the National Assembly Omar Ayub by one week in three cases registered in Attock.

On Tuesday, Omar Ayub appeared before the court, which adjourned the hearing until December 24 after marking his presence. The cases pertain to incidents that occurred on November 26. Speaking briefly to the media outside the court, Omar Ayub categorically denied any negotiation process between the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and the government. He said, “No negotiations are taking place with the government, nor has there been any contact. Negotiations will only occur when they become serious.”

In a related development, Judge Amjad Ali Shah of Special Court No. 1 of the Anti-Terrorism Court, Rawalpindi, extended Omar Ayub’s pre-arrest bail by one week in the same three cases.

Meanwhile, the court issued notices to 23 PTI leaders and workers, including Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur, following a request by Special Public Prosecutor Zaheer Shah to cancel their pre-arrest bail. The hearing on the matter has been adjourned until Thursday.

The prosecutor submitted an application to the court listing 23 accused individuals, alleging that they are deliberately avoiding court proceedings to delay trials, including the May 9 cases, such as the GHQ attack case. The application further stated that the accused are misusing their pre-arrest bail and failing to appear before the court after obtaining relief.

The list of accused individuals submitted for bail cancellation includes prominent figures such as: Ali Amin Gandapur (Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Shibli Faraz (former federal minister), Zain Qureshi (son of former Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi), Omar Tanveer Butt, Rashid Hafeez, Tahir Sadiq, Latasib Satti and Fahad Masood.