Imran’s protective bails in five FIRs extended till 27th

PTI chief’s lawyer tells LHC his client wants to appear before Islamabad courts despite facing threats

LAHORE:

A Lahore High Court’s division bench, headed by Justice Tariq Saleem Sheikh, on Friday extended the period of protective bails of PTI chairman Imran Khan in five FIRs till March 27.

The cases were registered against the deposed premier under terrorism charges, allegedly for attacking courts and law enforcers as well as resorting to vandalism. He was also charged with stopping a court from functioning in Islamabad.

The bench was hearing Imran’s plea seeking extension of time of the protective bails in the five FIRs.

The LHC had already granted him protective bails in the same cases.

Justice Sheikh made it clear that the LHC was extending the time only on the grounds that the petitioner, Imran, would face the consequences if his pleas were not pending in an Islamabad court.

The bench warned Imran that the contempt proceedings might be initiated against him if he violated the commitment and it was found that he had not filed any petition in an Islamabad court.

PTI Chairman @ImranKhanPTI inside Lahore High Court : pic.twitter.com/ixKFf0V4Zg

— PTI (@PTIofficial) March 24, 2023

In the third round of proceedings, Justice Sheikh directed Imran to come to the rostrum.

On the bench's directions, the PTI chief read out his affidavit, which was submitted to the court on its order.

In the affidavit, Imran contended that pleas for his pre-arrest bails had been filed in an anti-terrorism court in Islamabad.

However, he added that because of the law and order situation, he was not given access to the relevant court.

He further mentioned that his bails had been filed on March 18.

In the second round of proceedings, the law officer told the court that Imran had obtained protective bails but did not appear before the relevant court.

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To this, Justice Anwaar Hussain again asked the law officer whether or not the bail petitions were filed in Islamabad.

The law officer replied that he was unaware about it.

Justice Hussain remarked that these were matters that should be confirmed.

Justice Sheikh asked when the PTI chief obtained protective bails from the LHC.

Imran’s lawyer Barrister Salman Safdar argued that the LHC had granted the bails on March 17 and on March 18.

He added that his client’s legal team had filed the bail pleas in the Islamabad anti-terrorism court.

However, he continued that Imran was not given the opportunity to reach the court because of the law and order situation “created by police officials”.

The lawyer further contended that there were 100 cases against Imran.

To this, the PTI chief corrected him by saying 140 cases were registered against him.

The lawyer requested the court to extend the time till March 27 as on the same date there were several cases in Islamabad.

To this, the bench directed Imran to submit his affidavit before the court.

In the first round of proceedings, Justice Sheikh directed the Registrar’s Office to issue numbers to the protective bails of Imran after removing objections.

The Registrar’s Office had raised the objection that protective bails could not be filed again in the same FIRs.

As the proceedings commenced, Imran’s lawyer Safdar argued that his client sought more time to appear before the relevant courts by filing these protective bails.

The counsel argued that he knew there was limited scope of a protective bail if it was filed again, but the situation in this case was quite different when Imran appeared before the Islamabad’s court on March 18.

He told the court that the Registrar’s Office had raised an objection saying the protective bails could not be filed in same FIRs.

He added that they had requested the Registrar’s Office to fix these bails with the objection to the relevant bench.

The time of the protective bails, which they had earlier obtained, was going to finish, he argued.

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

The lawyer said his client wanted to appear before the courts despite receiving severe threats.

However, he maintained that every tactic was being adopted to stop Imran from reaching the courts as “everyone saw” in Islamabad.

The counsel argued that Imran did not misuse the protective bails granted to him earlier.

He further told the court that the PTI chief had not been provided with security despite having received threats.

To this, Justice Sheikh remarked that as per his knowledge, there was no provision available wherein the extension of the timeframe had ever been sought, especially in those protective bails which the court had earlier granted.

The counsel argued that Imran’s conduct was before the court, adding that cases were being repeatedly registered against him.

Justice Sheikh observed that Imran’s legal team should have approached the Islamabad High Court.

The counsel replied that Imran faced security threats.

He added that no security was being provided to his client.

The lawyer continued that even today, Imran had appeared before the court accompanied by his own security guards.

After hearing the arguments, the court directed the Registrar’s Office to issue numbers to the petitions after removing objections.

During the proceedings, Imran while taking the rostrum told the court that his life was put in danger by blocking his path when he reached the Motorway Toll Plaza.

He added that all this was carried out even though he was facing severe threats.

The PTI chief continued that around 40 FIRs under terrorism charge had been registered against him.

He claimed that every effort was made by police to restrain him from appearing before the court in Islamabad.

He contended that if the LHC directed him, he could produce the video of that day when tear gas shells were used against his activists and stones were pelted on them.

He added that when he returned to Lahore, he came to know that more cases had been registered against him.

On his arrival at the LHC, Imran told the journalists that PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif would politically die in the upcoming elections.

To a query about whether or not the Supreme Court would set aside the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) order through which the polls in Punjab were postponed, he replied that even then how could the elections be conducted in October if the apex court did not strike it down.

Separately, an additional district and session court in Islamabad converted the non-baiable arrest warrants of the PTI chairman to bailable ones in a case pertaining to threatening a woman judge.

Judge Faizan Haider Gillani announced the verdict after hearing arguments from the respondents.

Special Prosecutor Raja Rizwan Abbasi requested the court to ensure the PTI chief’s appearance on the next hearing.

Imran's lawyer Barrister Gohar Ali said his client was coming to Islamabad on March 30 to appear in the Toshakhana case.

He asked the court to fix the hearing of this case on the same day.

The judge noted that it was a strange request as the order of the arrest warrants was for March 29, but the lawyer was asking to fix the case on March 30.

The prosecutor said the defence should give arguments on the merit in the plea about the cancellation of the arrest warrants.

He added that Imran had never appeared before the court in this case as he was yet to be provided with its copies.

After hearing the arguments, the court reserved its judgment and later converted the non-bailable arrest warrants of PTI chairman into bailable ones.

Earlier, a senior civil judge had issued non-bailable arrest warrants against Imran till March 29. However, the PTI chief had challenged the verdict.

(With input from APP)