Taji Khokhar gets bail in another murder case

IHC restrains him from travelling abroad

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court on Friday granted bail to Imtiaz Ali Khokhar, also known as Taji, on medical grounds in a murder case.

While granting the bail, Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui of the IHC restrained Khokhar from travelling abroad and ordered to place his name on the Exit Control List (ECL).

Moreover, the IHC has directed the trial court to decide the murder case within a period of three months.



The court granted bail to Taji, the younger brother of former National Assembly Deputy Speaker Nawaz Khokhar, against two sureties of Rs2.5 million each.

According to the prosecution, Khokhar had had a land dispute with one Ishtiaqul Salikeen and others in the Tarlai area of Islamabad. On February 19, 2013, his guards went to Salikeen’s house to settle the dispute, but it quickly escalated into an exchange of fire in which Slikeen’s associate, Khalid Farooq, was killed.

The police had subsequently booked Khokhar and his associates in the murder case. Later, the Islamabad administration had issued a notification declaring that Khokhar’s trial for the murder would be held in the Adiala jail.

While urging the court to grant Khokhar bail on medical grounds, Khokhar’s counsel Zahid Bukhari argued that the health of his client was deteriorating and required special medical attention.

In the bail plea, Bukhari said that Khokhar had long been suffering from several ailments including high blood pressure, diabetes, and kidney problems. He contended that the health of his client had further deteriorated during recent days since he had also suffered cardiac complications.

While talking to The Express Tribune, Bukhari said that Khokhar is currently admitted to the Holy Family Hospital (HFH) where he receives dialysis. He added that two medical boards, one inside the jail and the second at the HFH had suggested that Khokhar receives treatment for his kidneys at a proper hospital.



While disagreeing with the prosecution’s version, Bukhari said that Khokhar was not present at the crime scene and that a few men had gone to Salikeen’s residence claiming affiliation with Khokhar and opened fire.

As previously reported, Khokhar is facing several cases of murder, kidnapping of government officials, land grabbing and other crimes in different police stations of the twin cities. Earlier in March, an additional and district sessions court in Rawalpindi had granted bail to Khokhar on similar medical grounds in a separate murder case.

The court granted bail on two sureties of Rs500,000 each.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 22^nd, 2017.