IHC turns down Imran’s plea for exemption

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) ordered Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PT) Chairman Imran Khan to appear before a banking court of Islamabad on February 28 in a case of pre-arrest bail registered against him under the Foreign Exchange Act.

The division bench, comprising Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani and Justice Tariq Mahmood Jahangiri rejected Imran Khan’s request for appearing in the court through video link.

During the hearing, Prosecutor Rizwan Abbasi informed the bench that the PTI chief had been given a conditional interim bail after he assured that he would appear on every hearing and join the investigation.

However, he added, after getting the interim bail, Imran did not appear in the trial court even for once. He added that the accused could not be granted indefinite period for appearance.

The prosecutor also opposed the medical report of Imran, saying that it was a medical certificate, and not a report. He added that the certificate, too, was issued by a private hospital, which was owned by Imran himself.

Justice Kayani said that if Imran’s medical reports were not correct, then where was the official report. He further asked whether or not the Punjab government formed a medical board after Imran’s injury in the Wazirabad incident in November last year.

The judge then directly addressing the lawyer said that if he was opposing the exemption certificate that a medical board would have to be constituted. He added that Imran was seeking one exemption but the prosecution was giving him six months.

The prosecutor told the court that the case hearing was scheduled for February 25 and the banking court had also asked Imran to come to court. He added that there was an elevator to reach the court, while Imran had little cramp in his leg.

Justice Jahangiri said that there was a contradiction in the arguments of the prosecutor and the government’s lawyer. He asked the prosecutor that the trial court had given seven exemptions to Imran but the prosecution never challenged then.

Imran’s lawyer told the court that the bail of the co-accused in this case had already been approved and Imran would also get the bail, when he appeared in the court. He added that the three-page medical report of Imran Khan had been submitted.

It should be noted that the backing court rejected Imran Khan's request for attendance through video link. Imran Khan had challenged the decision of the banking court in the IHC.