Imran: Bail in three cases, warrant in fourth

Judge irked by continuous absence in Toshakhana reference

ISLAMABAD:

A district and sessions court in Islamabad on Tuesday issued non-bailable arrest warrants for PTI Chairman and deposed premier Imran Khan over his continuous absence before the judge in the Toshakhana (gift repository) case.

Imran's lawyer had assured Additional Sessions Judge Zafar Iqbal at the last hearing that his client, whose indictment had already been deferred twice in the past, would appear before him on Tuesday.

Earlier in the day, the PTI chairman, accompanied by his party supporters, reached Islamabad’s judicial complex to appear before the courts to face the prohibited funding and terrorism charges against him.

However, the sessions court, where the PTI chief had to appear in the Toshakhana reference and an attempted murder case, is located in F-8 Kachehri, which is around a half-an-hour drive away from the judicial complex.

During the proceedings of the Toshakhana reference, Imran’s lawyer requested the judge to postpone the hearing by another five days.

However, the Election Commission of Pakistan lawyer contested the request, arguing that it was of no concern to the court where Imran was coming from.

He questioned that if the PTI chief could appear in other courts, why not this one.
Imran’s lawyer argued that he was unable to present Imran before the court.
However, he added that if his client managed to leave the judicial complex in time, he would appear before the court.

Judge Iqbal, irked by the lawyer’s statement, expressed his dismay that Imran could appear before other courts in the judicial complex but not in this one.

“Charges are going to be framed here so he should appear here. Once they have been framed he may leave,” the judge added.

The court later went into recess.

After the proceedings resumed, the judge, while issuing the non-bailable warrants, adjourned the hearing till March 7.

The PTI chief then reached the Islamabad High Court, which granted him pre-arrest bail until March 9 in an attempted murder case.

IHC Chief Justice Aamer Farooq also ordered him to submit a surety bond of Rs100,000.

PML-N leader Mohsin Ranjha lodged a complaint claiming that a shot fired by a Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa police guard of MNA Saleh Mohammad outside the ECP on Constitution Avenue on Oct 21 last year – during protests that erupted after the electoral watchdog disqualified Imran in the Toshakhana reference – was “an attempt on his life”.

He alleged that the K-P police guard carried out the “attack” at the behest of the PTI chief.

Earlier at the judicial complex, two courts also granted Imran bail.

Banking court Judge Rakhshanda Shaheen approved the PTI chief’s request for bail in the prohibited funding case.

Ahead of Imran’s appearance, the banking court rescheduled all other cases fixed for hearing on Tuesday.

Barrister Salman Safdar was representing Imran in the court and Rizwan Abbasi was the special prosecutor.

The prosecutor pointed out Imran's absence in the court.

Safdar said it was alleged that the PTI chief had been presenting a false report issued by his own hospital regarding his health.

He added that his client was a 71-year-old man, recuperating from his injuries, which he had suffered during an attack on his convoy in Wazirabad while he was leading a long march to Islamabad.

He contended that the prosecution had not even asked for a delay in the arrest of Imran on humanitarian grounds.

He argued that Abraaj Group’s Arif Masood Naqvi was the actual accused but the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) had neither arrested him, nor interrogated him in the case.

The prosecutor opposed the defendant’s request for the confirmation of Imran’s bail. He claimed that the PTI chief’s medical reports revealed he had swelling but no injuries.

Later, the judge confirmed Imran’s bail in the case.

The PTI chairman sought bail in the case filed against him and other party leaders by the FIA Commercial banking Circle in Islamabad under the Foreign Exchange Act after they were accused of being the beneficiaries of suspicious bank accounts.

The agency had kicked off its probe against the PTI in August last year after the ECP declared in its verdict that the party had indeed received illegal funding.

Anti-terrorism court Judge Raja Jawad Abbas Hassan also approved Imran’s request for interim bail until March 9 in a case filed at Islamabad’s Sangjani police station against him in October last year for the protests that were triggered after the ECP disqualified him in the Toshakhana reference.

In a related development, the Islamabad police arrested 25 people for vandalism at the judicial complex on the PTI chief's arrival there.

The police tweeted that the 25 people had been booked under Sections 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servants from discharge of duty) of the Pakistan Penal Code and Section 7 (punishment for acts of terrorism) of the Anti-Terrorism Act.

They maintained that the judicial complex and the IHC were attacked as “part of a plan”.

“Raids are under way for further arrests,” the police added.

“Teams have been deployed in different provinces for the arrests. The political party’s representatives were leading the crowd, which provoked the people to cause harm,” they claimed.

The police said state property was damaged at the judicial complex, but they managed to thwart such attempts at the IHC.

Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah, while addressing a news conference in Sahiwal, claimed that “Imran’s crew” attacked the judicial complex, insulted the judiciary and indulged in vandalism because of which a case was registered against them.

He added that the people involved in the vandalism would be identified through CCTV footage and rounded up.

(With input from our Sahiwal correspondent)