LHC raises objections on Imran's protective bail requests

Registrar's office directs lawyer to attach relevant documents to application

LAHORE:

The Lahore High Court (LHC) Registrar's Office on Monday raised objections on two out of the three protective bail applications filed by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) chief and former premier Imran Khan.

Imran sought protective bail in three cases, two concerning FIRs registered with Ramana Police Station Islamabad and one in the Toshakhana case through his counsel Advocate Azhar Siddique.

Read: Imran evades arrest in Lahore, demands 'public trial' of Toshakhana case

The Registrar's Office intimated to the lawyer that the copies of court orders wherein other PTI leaders had secured protective bails in the same FIRs were not attached to the petitioner's applications and directed him to ensure the said copies were included.

On Sunday, the staff denied receiving Imran's application for bail which the PTI's legal team alongside party leaders tried their best to submit at the Chief Justice House and then later at the LHC.

The PTI chief's counsel confirmed that they "visited the Chief Justice House where the Registrar LHC was present and the numbers on their three petitions had been allotted and fixed for March 6 (today)”.

Siddique maintained "it is a settled principle that police cannot arrest a person whose bail is filed and fixed for hearing; and if it is done so, it falls under contempt of court and is tantamount to making a mockery of the judgments of the superior court".

Also read: Coalition parties criticise Imran for 'avoiding arrest'

However, when the legal team approached the CJ House to file the bail, the staffers told them that the venue was "not appropriate" to file the application and recommended they approach the LHC to submit their requests.

PTI leader Fawad Chaudhry alongside Siddque and others then approached the LHC where police officials declined to accept the application stating they were not in a position to receive the bails at the LHC gate.

Finally, the PTI's lawyers succeeded in filing the three protective bails at the LHC and the case is scheduled to be heard by the court today.