Five May 9 accused granted bail by SC rearrested shortly after release

ISLAMABAD: Five individuals involved in the unrest of May 9, who were recently released on bail by the Supreme Court, have been rearrested under the Punjab Maintenance of Public Order Ordinance, 1960 (16 MPO).

The Rawalpindi deputy commissioner issued the 16 MPO shortly after their release, leading to their immediate arrest upon leaving Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi last night, following the submission of their surety bonds.

The aforementioned suspects—Owais, Saifullah, Nasrullah, Kamran, and Waqas—were implicated in the case of violence that occurred on May 9, as documented in the records of the New Town Police Station. The incident stemmed from protests that erupted nationwide subsequent to the arrest of Imran Khan in the Al-Qadir Trust case, which also saw the detention of numerous Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) supporters and others.

Last week, a panel of three judges comprising Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail, Justice Hasan Azhar Rizvi, and Justice Mussarat Hilali granted bail to the five suspects involved in the May 9 violence case.

During the proceedings, Justice Mandokhail remarked that the authorities appeared to be targeting individuals participating in political rallies rather than apprehending the actual perpetrators of terrorism.

The bail, set at Rs50,000 each in the form of surety bonds, was approved by the apex court, with instructions for the trial court to render a verdict without succumbing to external influences.