Imran faces 36 cases in ECP, Lahore & Islamabad

ISLAMABAD:

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan faces a whopping number of 36 cases currently pending against him in various courts of Islamabad, Lahore and in the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).

These include disqualification, pre-arrest bail, criminal proceedings, protective bail and defamation cases. One case pertains to terrorism as well and the PTI chief is yet to be granted pre-arrest bail in that one.

So, while bail is pending in two cases, Imran can be arrested if it is turned down in any one of them.

According to details available with The Express Tribune, most of the cases are from Islamabad. Twenty-five of these are pending in the sessions court of Islamabad. Except for two cases, Imran is on bail in all the other cases.

A case in which Barrister Mohsin Shah Nawaz Ranjha is the complainant was registered at the Secretariat police station in the wake of protests after the Toshakhana verdict.

In this, Imran’s pre-arrest bail application is pending, which is scheduled for hearing on Feb 27.

The second case is a private complaint of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), in which it filed a request for criminal action against Imran for submitting a false affidavit in the Toshakhana reference.

On Feb 28, Additional Sessions Judge Zafar Iqbal summoned Imran in personal capacity. The former premier’s indictment is likely to be filed on the same day, while Imran’s lawyers are likely to challenge the court's jurisdiction as well.

Among the remaining 23 cases of the sessions court in Islamabad, some were registered in different police stations against protests on May 25 and 26 last year. Other cases were registered in the context of rallies in August and violating Section 144.

The case of issuing a threatening statement against Additional Sessions Judge Zeba Chaudhry is also included in these cases.

Some of the cases were registered after the Toshakhana verdict in October last year.

Two cases of 2014 – the PTV and parliament attack ones – are also included.

In all these 23 cases, Imran is on bail and the trial is pending.

The former premier is on pre-arrest bail in the case registered under the Foreign Exchange Act in the context of prohibited funding case. The court has ordered him to ensure attendance on Feb 28. Otherwise, there is a possibility that the bail will be dismissed.

The bail of the co-accused in this case has been already granted.

In addition to this, in the context of the Toshakhana decision, the special anti-terrorism court (ATC) rejected Imran’s pre-arrest bail application in the Sangjani police station's terrorism case after his failure to appear before the court.

After this, Imran secured a protective bail from the Lahore High Court (LHC) in the same case till March 3.

It is likely that if the PTI chief appears in the banking court on Feb 28, he will also seek a pre-arrest bail from the ATC.

Three defamation cases are pending in the sessions court of Islamabad, including one filed by Imran against Khawaja Asif.

A defamation suit filed by Imran against Najam Sethi is also pending between the former premier and a private television channel.

A defamation case between Imran and Shehbaz Sharif is also pending in the sessions court of Lahore.

Three cases are pending in the Islamabad High Court (IHC), including a disqualification case against Imran.

In this case, Imran is accused of not declaring his alleged daughter Tyrian White in the 2018 nomination papers.

The second is against the ECP's decision on the Toshahkhana reference.

In the ECP, the case for Imran’s removal as the party leadership in the context of the Toshakhana decision is pending.

While the third pending case is about a show-cause notice in the prohibited funding case.