Police investigators told a Lahore Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) on Wednesday that PTI leader Azam Swati they had found his guilt in five cases related to the May 9 riots as Judge Manzar Ali Gul took up the hearing today.

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 to Swati to present his arguments related to his petition for 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

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.