<\/p>\n
PTI supporter and fashion designer Khadija Shah has been released by an anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Quetta for want of evidence in a case relating to incitement to violence on May 9, her counsel said on Thursday.<\/p>\n
Khadija was arrested<\/a> in cases of attacks on the Lahore corps commander\u2019s house, Askari Tower and torching police vehicles near Rahat bakery in the cantonment on May 9.<\/p>\n On Nov 15, an anti-terrorism court had granted<\/a> her bail in the fourth and last case of May 9 protests against her. However, she was re-arrested<\/a> on Nov 17 under the Maintenance of Public<\/a> Order (MPO) ordinance for 30 days. She had subsequently challenged<\/a> the detention in the Lahore High Court as \u201cunlawful and unconstitutional\u201d and on December 11, the Punjab government submitted a notification in the LHC, stating that it had withdrawn her detention orders \u201cwith immediate effect\u201d.<\/p>\n However, before she could be released, the Quetta police had filed a request in the ATC of Judge Abhar Gul seeking her transit remand. The court accepted the request and granted the investigating officer her custody for two days<\/a>. Khadija was produced before Judge Sadat Bazai again after the expiry of her three-day police remand<\/a> on December 16 and reman\u00added again in police cus\u00ad\u00ad\u00adtody for seven days<\/a>.<\/p>\n Her counsel Syed Iqbal Shah told Dawn.com<\/em> today that the Balochistan Prosecution Department dropped Khadija\u2019s name on Wednesday from the first information report, citing a lack of concrete evidence against the PTI supporter.<\/p>\n Syed Iqbal said that he had applied to the ATC arguing that Khadija\u2019s name was included in cases on the May 9 violence, however, the police did not have any concrete evidence against her in this regard.<\/p>\n He said he had requested the court that his client\u2019s name should be dropped based on lack of evidence.<\/p>\n Iqbal said that the police had requested Khadija\u2019s further remand in Wednesday\u2019s court hearing for more investigation, adding that the ATC had asked for further evidence which was not provided by the police.<\/p>\n He said the government prosecutor present had told the ATC that the prosecution department had dropped her name from the case under Section 169 of the Criminal Procedure Code due to a lack of concrete evidence and released her.<\/p>\n Reacting to the news of the day-old development, PTI leader Syed Zulfiqar Abbas Bukhari said he was \u201cextremely happy\u201d that Khadija was on her way back to her family.<\/p>\n In a post on his X account, Bukhari said: \u201c Her resilience and strength is an inspiration to us all. Wishing her a peaceful time with her family and may Allah give her strength to continue to be the strong, wonderful person she is.\u201c<\/p>\n Lawyer and activist Jibran Nasir congratulated Khadija on her release after seven months,<\/p>\n \u201cHer prolonged imprisonment was a way to punish her without a trial,\u201d Jibran said on X, adding that \u201cnine women arrested in relation to May 9 incidents are still behind bars paying the price for their political beliefs.\u201d<\/p>\n Actor Osman Khalid Butt said it took seven months for \u201csome semblance of justice\u201d for the fashion designer.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat happened to Khadija Shah \u2014 and all the peaceful protestors imprisoned post-May 9 \u2014 is unconscionable. May the remaining nine women be released soon,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Congratulations to #KhadijaShah<\/a> and her family on her release after 7 long months despite bail being a right to all women under our Criminal Procedure Code. Her prolonged imprisonment was a way to punish her without a trial. Well done to her legal team led by
\n@SameerKhosa<\/a>
\n. 9 women arrested in relations to 9th May incidents are still behind bars paying the price for their political beliefs.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n