Police investigators told a Lahore Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) on Wednesday that their probe had found PTI leader Azam Swati culpable in five cases related to the May 9 riots, as Judge Manzar Ali Gul heard his bail petition.

The PTI founder’s arrest on May 9 in the Al Qadir Trust case had resulted in widespread violence and saw important military installations come under attack.

Following the mayhem, the state had launched a crackdown against his party, leading to arrests and legal cases against several PTI leaders and supporters.

Today, the Lahore ATC announced that the police had completed their investigation and that they had found him “guilty”. However, the judge provided one last chance for Swati to present arguments related to his bail.

“You all should present your arguments for bail, perhaps it will be approved,” the judge said.

Swati maintained that the cases against him were “fabricated”. In response, the judge said that Swati must present the arguments to hold his ground.

“It has been more than a year since the bail applications were filed, and the police investigation has also been completed,” the judge said.

The hearing was then adjourned until Feb 25.

Aleema, Uzma Khan innocent in Jinnah House attack case: police

Meanwhile, the Lahore ATC also heard a case against PTI founder Imran Khan’s sisters, Aleema Khan and Uzma Khan, for their alleged involvement in the Jinnah House attack on May 9.

During the hearing, the investigation officer told the court that the probe against the two sisters had bee completed, adding that the two were found “innocent”.

The IO said there was no need to arrest the duo, who withdrew their bail applications in the case.

Last month, a Lahore ATC judge extended the pre-arrest bail of Aleema, Uzma and PTI Secretary General Salman Akram Raja in the Jinnah House attack case until February 15.

Speaking to the media outside the court, Aleema said: “After 20 months, Allah has made us prosperous”, adding that she had learned a lot about the justice system during her trial.

“Today, they [the police] said that I was no longer wanted in the May 9 cases. If the investigating officer had appeared on the first day of the trial, the situation would perhaps not have reached this point,” she said.

We had to keep doing rounds of the courts because of the unavailability of the records, she added.

“May Allah not let even an enemy go through this [ordeal],” Aleema said.