Punjab govt files reference against judge hearing May 9 cases

Multiple leaders affiliated with the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf were left waiting for their bails to be confirmed after Punjab government filed a reference against the judge hearing the May 9 riots case.

Anti-Terrorism Court Rawalpindi Judge Ijaz Asif adjourned proceedings in the case till April 30 after learning that the reference had been filed against him.

PTI leaders Zartaj Gul, Shaheryar Afridi, Raja Basharat, Ajmal Sabir and Seemabia Tahir appeared in the court.

Sheikh Rasheed and Shireen Mazari also appeared in the case.

However, the copies of challans could not be distributed among the accused.

Mazari, who left PTI a few days after May 9, said that the reference amounted to a mockery of the law. She added that the government had filed the reference despite appointing the judge itself.