Imran to appear before ATC for bail today

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Babar Awan said on Wednesday that Imran Khan would appear before an anti-terrorism court (ATC) on Thursday (today) to seek bail in the terrorism case registered against him by the coalition government.

In a video message shared on PTI’s Twitter handle, the PTI leader shared that Imran had chaired a meeting of the party’s legal committee wherein it was decided that an application seeking his bail would be filed in an ATC in the capital.

The development comes two days after the Islamabad High Court (IHC) granted a three-day protective bail to the PTI chief in the case of “threatening” the female additional sessions judge and directed him to submit surety bonds worth Rs5,000 and approach the anti-terrorism court till August 25 (today).

Imran was booked last week in an FIR with the Margalla police following his address at the party’s rally in F9 Park a day earlier. The FIR also carried Section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act.

“Imran Khan will go there himself,” Imran’s counsel Babar Awan clarified in the video message on Wednesday. He added that both the international and local media were asking about the issue.

“This fake case […] in which there was neither a blast nor a Kalashnikov used […] and the police built up charges of terrorism, destroying Pakistan’s narrative developed over the last 20 years against terrorism.

”The PTI leader said that human rights activists, international media, and even the United Nations (UN) had expressed concern over the matter. “God willing, we will all go together tomorrow,” he added.

It is pertinent to note that on Monday, a division bench of the IHC that granted the three-day protective bail to Imran, had remarked that the petition had not been entertained till now as there was an objection from the registrar's office on it.

The registrar office had said that Imran did not get his biometric done and questioned why did the PTI chief approach the high court instead of the ATC. It was further said that a verified copy of the terrorism case had not been provided.

However, Awan had argued that Imran should be granted protective bail as he wanted to appear before the ATC, but his house was “surrounded by the police”.

Justice Kayani said that the court was granting the PTI chairman a three-day protective bail and that they should approach the ATC during this period.

Imran’s remarks during the rally also invited the wrath of the coalition parties of the incumbent government who have urged the superior judiciary to take immediate notice of the former premier’s threat to the female magistrate.

“Take legal action against Imran Khan and his colleagues for interfering in the affairs of the interior minister and threatening the officers and government staff who are performing their duties according to the law,” a joint statement said on Saturday.