The Lahore Excessive Courtroom (LHC) on Tuesday granted PTI Chairman Imran Khan protecting bail in two terrorism circumstances registered in opposition to him in Islamabad following final week’s clashes at the Federal Judicial Complex (FJC).
The primary info stories (FIRs) registered on the Counter Terrorism Division (CTD) and the Golra police stations within the capital accused the PTI chief and celebration staff of being concerned in attacking police and creating unrest outdoors the FJC in Islamabad through the hearing of the Toshakhana case on March 18.
A two-judge LHC bench comprising Justice Shehbaz Rizvi and Justice Farooq Haider granted Imran protecting bail within the terrorism circumstances until March 27.
Imran arrived on the LHC at round 1pm at the moment. Daybreak.com’s correspondent current in courtroom stated the ex-premier’s car entered LHC through the Mosque Gate.
The PTI chairman was accompanied by aide Fawad Chaudhry, celebration attorneys and personal safety guards.
Imran has renewed claims that his life is in peril, saying that the incumbent rulers wished to kill him and a “lure” was laid on the Islamabad Judicial Complicated on the event of the Toshakhana hearing on Saturday. The PTI chief survived an assassination attempt final 12 months and had blamed senior figures within the authorities and navy for it.
Immediately after arriving in court, Imran first appeared before Justice Tariq Saleem Sheikh as the court took up PTI’s contempt petition against the police operation at his Zaman Park residence on March 18.
Because the listening to commenced, Justice Sheikh inquired concerning the guards current in courtroom together with Imran to which Fawad replied that they have been part of Imran’s “private safety”.
Nonetheless, the decide instructed the guards to go away the courtroom, saying that cops have been already current for safety.
At one level through the listening to, Imran appeared on the rostrum and recalled the occasions of March 18. He stated that his spouse was alone at dwelling that day, but the police broke down the home windows of his home.
“I reached the Islamabad Toll Plaza they usually attacked my home. My spouse is a ba parda [modest] girl… her voice is recorded within the digital camera,” the PTI chief acknowledged.
“Obstructions have been arrange in a number of locations solely in order that I couldn’t attain courtroom,” he informed the courtroom.
“I secretly reached the courtroom at the moment … I got here in a automobile that nobody is aware of about, with none convoy,” Imran stated, including that by doing all this what message did the federal government give to the world.
“The one message they’ve given is that there is no such thing as a rule of regulation.”
At that, the courtroom instructed the federal government lawyer to hunt instructions relating to the Zaman Park operation and seem in courtroom. “I’ll provoke contempt proceedings in opposition to all those that are sitting within the media and making a joke of the judiciary,” Justice Sheikh stated.
He additionally warned that motion can be taken if the respondents within the case didn’t respect the courtroom. “We now have to work as per the regulation, we solely take heed to what the regulation says,” the decide added.
LHC’s Justice Sheikh also heard a separate petition today filed by PTI seeking the records of cases against the former prime minister.
During the hearing, the police presented a report in court which said that six cases had been registered against Imran in Punjab. Three of these FIRs were registered at Lahore’s Race Course police station, while others were filed at Sarwar Road police station, Rawalpindi’s New Airport police station and Faisalabad’s Madina Town police station.
However, Justice Sheikh instructed the police to submit details of cases against Imran registered by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIR) and National Accountability Bureau (NAB) as well.
The judge also inquired about the dates of the FIRs and if the report included all the latest complaints as well, saying that “FIRs are being lodged every day”.
The police replied that the report included all the FIRs lodged until yesterday.
“What is the issue in providing all the details? Today is the time of [using] WhatsApp … you can find everything within a minute,” the judge remarked and then adjourned the hearing till 1pm.
He also instructed the police to present the complete case record in court.
When the hearing resumed, Justice Sheikh asked the government’s lawyer to submit an affidavit along with the details of the cases registered against Imran.
“Collect the details in two days and also give relief to the petitioner,” the judge stated. “It is not possible that you delay the hearing and not give relief too.”
Before departing from the LHC, Imran also secured bail in two summons sent to him by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) in the Toshakhana investigation.
The NAB Rawalpindi had called the PTI chief on March 9 and March 21 to record his statements in connection with the Toshakhana gifts case. Imran is accused of retaining some state gifts presented to him by various foreign dignitaries, including Rolex wristwatches, which he allegedly purchased at throwaway prices and then sold them for millions of rupees.
In his petitions filed today, Imran stated that the call-up notices by the NAB were “clearly indicative of nefarious designs of the respondents [NAB] which is adamant on arresting the petitioner” by “weaving false and frivolous cases”.
A two-member bench headed by Justice Ali Baqar Najafi heard Imran’s pleas.
During the hearing, the PTI chief’s lawyer told the court that NAB had already issued a similar notice to Imran earlier as well, saying that “as soon as we take bails, they lodge another case against us”.
He requested that Imran be granted a 15-day protective bail because the latter had to appear before a court in Islamabad.
For his part, Imran told the judge that the date for elections [in Punjab] had been announced but his entire time was spent in court hearings, adding that he could not distribute party tickets.
He further said that not a single case had been registered against him in 50 years but nearly 100 cases were lodged in just one month.
After hearing the arguments, the court granted protective bail to Imran till March 31.
