Imran handed in NAB custody for eight days

ISLAMABAD:

Announcing its reserved verdict, an anti-graft court on Wednesday granted the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) eight-day physical remand of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan in the Al-Qadir Trust case.

In a separate case, a sessions court also indicted the PTI chief in the Toshakhana case even though the PTI chief and his legal team boycotted the proceedings.

Both the hearings were held at the Islamabad Police Lines, which was given the status of a court venue as a “one-time dispensation” late on Tuesday night, amid tight security.

During the hearing of the Al-Qadir Trust case, Judge Muhammad Bashir conducted the hearing of the case at the New Police Guest House earlier in the day, where NAB presented the reasons behind the former prime minister's arrest, and sought his 14-day physical remand.

However, Imran's legal team opposed the NAB's request. His lawyer Khawaja Harris maintained that the PTI chief will cooperate in the investigation and that there was "no need for a physical remand".

Deputy Prosecutor General NAB Sardar Muzaffar Abbasi, Special Prosecutor Rafi Maqsood, NAB investigation officer Mian Umar Nadeem and NAB Prosecutor Sardar Zulqarnain were present at the hearing.

The PTI chief was represented by Khawaja Harris, Barrister Ali Gohar and Advocate Ali Bukhari.

During the hearing, the NAB prosecutor told the accountability court that the arrest warrant was shown to Imran Khan at the time of his arrest.

However, the PTI chief maintained that he was shown the warrant when he reached the NAB office.

In his arguments, the NAB prosecutor told the court that “this is a case of corruption which was investigated by National Crime Agency (NAC) of the UK.”

“The money in this case was to be transferred to the government of Pakistan,” he added.

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Haris argued that, “My client was illegally arrested.” “Proper method was not adopted to arrest Imran. [The] NAB sent a notice, but when did it convert the complaint into a reference?” he questioned.

The lawyer maintained that “Imran is also being dragged in many other cases”, adding that “my client will join the investigation and cooperate in it”. The court later reserved its verdict.

During the proceedings, PTI chief Imran Khan told the accountability court that he was fearful for his life.

“I have not been to the washroom in 24 hours,” the former prime minister said during the proceedings of the Al-Qadir Trust case.

The PTI chief requested the court to grant his personal physician Dr Faisal Sultan access to him. "I am afraid I will meet the same fate as 'Maqsood Chaprasi'," Imran said in reference to an alleged key witness in Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's money laundering case who passed away due to a cardiac arrest last year. The PTI had termed the witness' death 'mysterious'.

"They give [you] an injection, and [you] slowly die," the ex-premier said.

Toshakhana case

Additional and District Sessions Judge Humayun Dilawar indicted the former prime minister Imran Khan on charges of selling state gifts during his four years in power.

The former prime minister's indictment followed a decision by the Election Commission of Pakistan in October, which found him guilty of illegally selling state gifts between 2018 and 2022 and barred him from holding public office until the next election due in November.

He has denied any wrongdoing. Speaking to the media after the hearing of the case, Imran’s lawyer Sher Afzal Marwat said that the former prime minister and lawyers boycotted the indictment proceedings.

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He maintained that the court indicted the PTI chief despite him expressing lack of confidence on the judge hearing the case.

“We are going to the Supreme Court against the high court’s yesterday's decision,” Marwat said while referring to the IHC ruling that Imran’s arrest was legal.

Mohsin Shahnawaz Ranjha, a lawmaker from the ruling coalition who was a plaintiff in the case against Khan on state gifts, confirmed his indictment and said the former premier had put the "country's peace at stake".

PTI moves IHC, SC

Hours after the location of Imran's hearing in the anti-graft case was changed, lawyer Faisal Chaudhry filed a petition challenging the move in the Islamabad High Court (IHC).

In the plea, he requested the court to declare the notification of "forming a police line court illegal", adding that Imran's legal team should be allowed to meet him.

Advocate Chaudhry also maintained that "not making the legal team meet with Imran Khan will affect the fair trial".

In a separate development, the former ruling party has challenged Imran Khan’s arrest in the Supreme Court (SC).

The PTI has filed a constitutional petition in the top court through lawyer Khawaja Haris, pleading “Imran Khan's arrest is illegal.”

The petition has also requested the apex court to annul IHC’s order declaring Imran’s arrest as legal and to order to produce the deposed premier before the court.

Abrupt change in hearing venue

In a notification dated May 9, the government announced that Imran's court hearings location has been changed.

In a notification issued late on Tuesday night, however, the office of the Chief Commissioner Islamabad Capital Territory said that the venue for the hearing had been changed to the police guesthouse in Islamabad.

As part of a "one-time dispensation", the local administration declared "New Police Guest House, Police Lines Headquarters H 11/1, Islamabad, the venue for hearing of case titled 'District Election Commissioner Vs Imran Khan Niazi' and for the appearance of Mr Imran Khan Niazi before Honorable Judge Accountability Court - I, Islamabad on 10th May 2023, instead of F-8 Court Complex, Islamabad and Judicial Complex G 11/4, Islamabad."

Imran was also scheduled to appear before a local court in the federal capital set to indict the former prime minister on May 10 in the Toshakhana case, filed by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).

PTI lawyers allowed access

Amid strict security measures, three of Imran's lawyers, namely, Khawaja Haris, Ali Bukhari and Barrister Gohar were allowed to enter the police lines headquarters.

Notably, the PTI had provided a list of 20 lawyers, but only three of them had been permitted to enter the premises.

Meanwhile, the PTI leadership has been barred from the venue of the hearing.

These include senior party leaders Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Asad Umar, and Chief Minister Gilgit Baltistan Muhammad Khalid Khurshid Khan.

Several PTI leaders, including Ali Nawaz Awan, have been stopped at the Kashmir Highway and only authorised persons are being permitted to enter police lines.

Qureshi took to Twitter to question why Imran was “not being allowed legal representation?” and “why are his lawyers and senior leadership not being allowed to meet him?”.