Judicial magistrate grants bail to PTI protesters arrested for demonstrating near Karachi Press Club

KARACHI: A judicial magistrate on Monday granted bail to 24 PTI workers and leaders who were arrested a day earlier for staging a protest near Karachi Press Club (KPC) against the increase in fuel prices due to the ongoing US-Israeli war on Iran.

PTI workers and leaders were arrested after they clashed with police near the press club on Sunday.

Judicial Magistrate Abdul Ahad Memon issued the order, a copy of which is available with Dawn, and granted bail to the 24 workers and leaders against surety bonds of Rs5,000 each.

However, an anti-terrorism court (ATC) sent four PTI leaders, who were arrested on Sunday, to prison on judicial remand in a case pertaining to rioting during a rally at Banaras Chowk on Aug 24, 2025.

PTI counsel Advocate Shujaat Ali Khan told Dawn that after arresting the four leaders — Alamgir Khan, Meeraj, Khalid Mehmood and Daawa Khan — a day ago, police had also implicated them in the old case pertaining to rioting during a rally at Banaras Chowk registered at Peerabad police station.

He added that the police produced them before the ATC’s administrative judge and sought their physical remand for interrogation. However, after hearing the defence counsel, the judge sent them to prison on judicial remand in the case.

Clash outside KPC

On Sunday, Karachi South Deputy Inspector General Syed Asad Raza said around 100 to 150 PTI workers, led by Haleem Adil Shaikh, gathered at Fawara Chowk on Abdullah Haroon Road carrying banners and sticks and attemp­ted to march towards the press club.

He said police tried to stop them and informed them that Section 144 had been imposed in the Red Zone by the Sindh government, banning rallies and asked them to disperse.

However, the protesters allegedly turned violent and attacked the police with sticks and stones, prompting the deployment of additional personnel. Police subsequently arrested several protesters.

Later, a first information report was registered agai­nst them on behalf of the st­a­te on charges of rioting, unl­awful assembly and obst­r­u­cting public servants.

The Artillery Maidan police registered a case under several provisions of the Pakistan Penal Code, including Section 147 (punishment for rioting), Section 149 (offence committed by members of an unlawful assembly), Section 186 (obstructing a public servant), and Section 188 (disobedience to an order duly promulgated by a public servant).

However, PTI leaders disputed the police account, alleging that the protest was peaceful and that workers, including women, were subjected to excessive force and arbitrary arrests.