The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Tuesday granted bail to Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) chief Khadim Hussain Rizvi and former patron-in-chief Pir Afzal Qadri.
The two have been granted bail against surety bonds worth Rs5 million each. The verdict, which was reserved on May 10, was announced earlier today. A two-member Lahore High Court (LHC) bench comprising justice Qasim Ali Khan and Justice Asjad Javed Gharal granted Rizvi and Qadri bail till July 15.
The court also rejected an apology statement made by Qadri.
On May 1, Pir Afzal Qadri had resigned from TLP leadership citing health reasons and had apologized for his remarks against the state institutions.
“I am a patient of heart disease, paralysis, kidney disease, high blood sugar, and high blood pressure, etc, and when the verdict of the Aasia Bibi case was pronounced, my religious sentiments got hurt and I delivered a speech. I am very sorry for hurting the sentiments of the government, the judiciary and the chief of army staff,” Qadri said, subsequently announcing his retirement from the party.
He had also promised never to repeat such again and urged party followers to behave according to the teachings of the Holy Quran and the Sunnah.
Rizvi and Qadri were taken into "protective custody" by the state during a crackdown in November 2018 after the TLP announced it would observe martyrs’ day on Nov 25, 2018. The arrests were made after violent protests led by the TLP erupted after the Supreme Court (SC) acquitted Aasia Bibi in a blasphemy case.
The two have been granted bail against surety bonds worth Rs5 million each. The verdict, which was reserved on May 10, was announced earlier today. A two-member Lahore High Court (LHC) bench comprising justice Qasim Ali Khan and Justice Asjad Javed Gharal granted Rizvi and Qadri bail till July 15.
The court also rejected an apology statement made by Qadri.
On May 1, Pir Afzal Qadri had resigned from TLP leadership citing health reasons and had apologized for his remarks against the state institutions.
“I am a patient of heart disease, paralysis, kidney disease, high blood sugar, and high blood pressure, etc, and when the verdict of the Aasia Bibi case was pronounced, my religious sentiments got hurt and I delivered a speech. I am very sorry for hurting the sentiments of the government, the judiciary and the chief of army staff,” Qadri said, subsequently announcing his retirement from the party.
He had also promised never to repeat such again and urged party followers to behave according to the teachings of the Holy Quran and the Sunnah.
Rizvi and Qadri were taken into "protective custody" by the state during a crackdown in November 2018 after the TLP announced it would observe martyrs’ day on Nov 25, 2018. The arrests were made after violent protests led by the TLP erupted after the Supreme Court (SC) acquitted Aasia Bibi in a blasphemy case.