Imran’s arrest spells chaos

ISLAMABAD:

In a startling development on Tuesday, PTI Chairman and deposed premier Imran Khan was arrested in the Al-Qadir Trust case from the premises of the Islamabad High Court, where he was present for two hearings.

Video clips broadcast on TV channels showed Imran – who had been using a wheelchair since being shot during an assassination attempt last year – being manhandled by dozens of security personnel into an armoured vehicle inside the court premises.

The Islamabad police issued a statement quoting the federal capital’s police chief Akbar Nasir saying that the PTI chairman had been arrested in connection with the Al-Qadir Trust case, which alleged that Imran and his wife, Bushra Bibi, acquired billions of rupees from a real estate company for legalising a laundered amount of Rs60 billion, which was identified and returned to Pakistan by the UK while the former premier was in power.

“[The] situation is normal. Section 144 is in place and violations will result in police action,” he added.

In a related event, the IHC reserved its verdict on the legality of the PTI chief's arrest.

IHC Chief Justice Aamer Farooq observed that if Imran was arrested illegally, he would have to be released.

The PTI chief's arrest came a day after the military warned him against making “baseless allegations” after he again accused a senior officer of plotting to kill him.

The rebuke late Monday underscored how far the PTI chief's relations have deteriorated with the military, which backed his rise to power in 2018 but withdrew its support ahead of a parliamentary vote of no confidence that ousted him last year.

“As we reached the court’s biometric room to mark the attendance, dozens of Rangers [personnel] attacked us,” Ali Bukhari, a PTI lawyer, said.

“They beat him [Imran] and dragged him out,” he told AFP.

According to the Islamabad IGP, Imran had been taken to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) office in Rawalpindi.

The former premier was arrested from within the premises of the IHC, where he had appeared for the hearing of two cases pertaining to inciting mutiny as well as violence against PML-N leader Mohsin Shahnawaz Ranjha.

A Reuters witness said shortly after Imran entered the gate of the IHC, contingents of the paramilitary force and armoured personnel carriers entered after him.

The gate was blocked by the armoured vehicles while Imran was whisked away shortly after under heavy security, the witness added.

Imran’s arrest warrant was dated May 1 and signed by NAB Chairman Lt-Gen Nazir Ahmed.

It read that Imran was accused of corrupt practices under Section 9(a) of the National Accountability Ordinance, 1999.

Earlier in the day, the IHC CJ summoned the Islamabad IGP, interior secretary and additional attorney general within 15 minutes after learning about Imran’s arrest.

The judge observed that he was exhibiting “restraint”, adding that he would summon Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif if the Islamabad IGP did not appear before the court.

Justice Farooq issued directions to inform the court immediately about who was behind the PTI chief’s arrest and in what case had he been rounded up.

The judge added that action would be taken, “even if it has to be against ministers”.

As the hearing resumed, the Islamabad police chief, accompanied by the interior secretary and additional attorney general appeared before the court.

The judge expressed his displeasure that they had reached the court after 45 minutes – a delay of half an hour.

The Islamabad police chief told the court that he had found out about the PTI chief’s arrest from the media.

He added that Imran had been rounded up in connection with corrupt practices, and submitted the PTI chief’s arrest warrant to the court.

Justice Farooq noted that as far as he knew, the PTI chief was not arrested by NAB.

He continued that he would issue an appropriate order if the arrest was in violation of the law.

Barrister Gohar Khan, who was with Imran at the time of the arrest, told the court that he was present with the PTI chief when he was rounded up by the security personnel.

He added that Rangers personnel were trying to arrest the PTI chief before he even entered the biometric room.

He claimed that Rangers personnel had broken down windows and used pepper spray.

The lawyer maintained that the paramilitary force had hit Imran with a rod and he was willing to give his statement to the IHC for this purpose.

Gohar also claimed that Rangers personnel had also struck the PTI chief’s injured leg.

PTI lawyer Khawaja Haris argued that the arrest was nothing less than an attack on judicial independence.

Haris contended that the law did not allow NAB to arrest a person while an inquiry was still under way.

Faisal Chaudhry, also a PTI lawyer, said the party wanted the IHC to form a full court to hear the case.

He added that the court belonging to the IHC CJ as well as him was attacked. He requested the judge to “restore the dignity” of the court.

The IHC CJ observed that the court was exercising “restraint” throughout the matter and asked that his patience should not be tested.

Justice Farooq noted that he never knew that NAB could carry out an arrest in such a manner.

Raising the question about the incident being an attack on judicial independence, the judge inquired was the arrest legal.

“Lawyers have been attacked. My court has been attacked. I have been attacked,” the IHC CJ noted.

Justice Farooq took strong exception over the arrest taking place inside the IHC premises.

The additional attorney general argued whether the parking lot and other areas of the IHC could be considered the same as the courtroom.

The IHC CJ later summoned the NAB Rawalpindi director general and its prosecutor general, ordering them to appear before the court within 30 minutes.

As the hearing resumed at around 6pm, the NAB officials appeared before the court.

The IHC CJ asked NAB Rawalpindi DG Sardar Muzaffar if Imran’s arrest warrants, which were earlier submitted to court by the Islamabad IGP, were actually issued by the anti-graft body.

The NAB official replied in the affirmative, saying it was issued on May 1.

Justice Farooq sought details of the NAB investigation officer. The NAB official identified him as Umar Nadeem.

The judge also asked if NAB had deployed Rangers to execute Imran’s arrest warrant. He further inquired whether or not the Islamabad police were informed about the Rangers’ deployment.

The Islamabad police chief replied in the affirmative, saying that he was aware about the arrest warrant.

The judge inquired if similar arrest warrants had also been issued for Fawad Chaudhry and other PTI leaders.

To this, the NAB official replied that he was unaware of any such warrants.

The IHC CJ remarked that if Imran’s arrest was illegal, he would have to be released.

However, he added that if the arrest was legal, the proceedings would continue as per the law.

Later, the judge reserved the verdict. He elaborated that an appropriate order would be issued soon.

Prior to his court appearance, Imran told the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) to “listen carefully” as he once again held a senior military official responsible for the assassination attempts on his life.

The former premier lambasted the military’s media wing a day after Pakistan Army lashed out at Imran, saying that he levelled "highly irresponsible and baseless allegation" against a serving senior military officer without any evidence.

"Before I leave, I want to say two things. First, the ISPR issued a statement saying that the institution has been disrespected and the army has been disrespected by naming an officer that has tried to have me killed twice," Imran said in a video message prior to his court appearance today.

"ISPR sahib, listen to me carefully. Respect is not only reserved for one institution, respect should be for every citizen." (With input from agencies)