Imran Khan's party leader Asad Umar discharged in five terror cases

LAHORE: An Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) in Lahore has discharged Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Asad Umar in five terrorism cases related to the May 9 riots, ARY News reported on Saturday. The investigation officer (IO) said in the court that the PTI leader is no longer wanted in the five terrorism cases.

Asad Umar was booked in three cases registered at Sarwar Road police station, one each at Race Course and Gulberg police stations in Lahore, as per ARY News.

After PTI chief and former prime minister Imran Khan was taken into custody on May 9 at the Islamabad High Court (IHC), violent confrontations broke out throughout Pakistan. Due to the party workers' agitation over the detention of their chairman, rallies were held in both remote and populous towns, and Balochistan, Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Islamabad called in the armed forces to maintain peace and order.

During a demonstration by PTI activists, army installations and the house of the corps commander in Lahore also came under attack. Meanwhile, the anti-terrorism court rejected Umar's interim bail petition over his failure to deposit surety bonds in cases related to the May 9 violence.

Last week, Umar's bail was extended till September 14 in the cypher probe case. Asad Umar along with his lawyer Babar Awan appeared before the court of Judge Abu Al-Hasnat Zulqarnain. The bail of Asad Umar was extended by the special court until September 14.

In his statement after getting bail extension, Umar said cipher is a classified document, that cannot come out of the foreign office, according to Pakistan Today. The cypher controversy first emerged on March 27, 2022, when Imran Khan — just days before his ouster — brandished a letter, claiming that it was a cypher from a foreign nation, which mentioned that his government should be removed from power.

The cypher case against the former premier became serious after his principal secretary Azam Khan stated before a magistrate as well as the Federal Investigation Agency that the former PM had used the US cypher for his ‘political gains’ and to avert a vote of no-confidence against him, reported Geo News.

The former bureaucrat, in his confession, said when he provided the ex-premier with the cypher, he was “euphoric” and termed the language a “US blunder”. The former prime minister, according to Azam, then said that the cable could be used for “creating a narrative against establishment and opposition”.

Azam said the US cypher was used in political gatherings by the PTI chairman, despite his advice to avoid such acts, according to Geo News.