ISLAMABAD: Additional District and Sessions Judge Basit Aleem on Wednesday approved the interim bail of two accused for manhandling a journalist for the fifth time without any arguments.
Farid Sabri, a reporter of a private news channel based in Islamabad, was manhandled by the mafia in E-7 on May 16 when he tried to expose the nexus between police, city administration and sheesha café owners by publishing a special report. Consequently, a case was registered with the Kohsar police station under non-bailable sections 382, 506ii, 148 and 149 of the PPC.
During the hearing on Wednesday, accused Saad Kiyani requested the court to grant him interim bail as he has to attend his sister’s wedding. Earlier his interim bail was approved after his lawyer stated in the court that the accused’s father has undergone a surgery and that he is his attendant at the hospital.
For the fifth time, the judge approved the interim bail of Hasaan Khalil Noon and Saad Kiyani till June 18 without hearing arguments of the other side. Another nominated accused, Basim Kiyani, is also on interim bail till June 18.
On June 3, the same court had cancelled the bail due to absence and non-serious attitude of the two aforementioned accused and ordered the police to arrest them, but Islamabad police failed to arrest the influential accused persons. Meanwhile, just two hours after the cancelation of the bail, the accused again filed the request for their bail and were granted bail by the court till June 12.
One accused – Hasaan Khalil Noon – is son of Tehzeeb Bakery’s owner Khalil Noon, while the two others are nephews of former DG Education Atif Kayani.
The victim journalist has stated that he is continuously receiving life threats from the mafia.