The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has granted post-arrest bail to 86 workers of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) who were arrested during the party’s protest on 26 November last year, ordering their release against surety bonds of Rs 10,000 each, provided they are not wanted in any other case.

The decision was announced on Wednesday by a division bench comprising Acting Chief Justice Sarfraz Dogar and Justice Muhammad Asif, who heard the bail applications filed by the detained PTI workers.

Representing the petitioners, a legal team including Ali Bukhari, Sardar Masroof, and Zahid Bashir Dar argued for their clients’ release. Advocate Ali Bukhari also urged the court to reduce the amount of surety, which the court accepted.

The court ruled that if the applicants are not involved in any other pending cases, they should be released immediately after furnishing the bail bonds.

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The arrests stemmed from a PTI protest march led by KP Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur and Bushra Bibi, wife of PTI founder Imran Khan, which had entered Islamabad while Belarusian President was visiting the capital.

The protest turned violent, with clashes between demonstrators and security forces resulting in the deaths of two Rangers personnel and injuries to dozens of police officers. PTI had also claimed that several of its workers were killed, though conflicting reports emerged at the time.

After Bushra Bibi and CM Gandapur withdrew from the protest, it was called off. The following day, a major crackdown saw hundreds of PTI activists arrested by law enforcement agencies.

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