IHC won't bar authorities from arresting Imran

Says it doesn't want to set such a precedent

ISLAMABAD:

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has turned down a request to order authorities not to arrest PTI chief Imran Khan in any pending case, stating that it does not want to set such a precedent.

A division bench of the high court, led by Chief Justice Aamer Farooq and comprising Justice Tariq Mehmood Jahangiri, resumed hearing the PTI chairman's petition against the cancellation of his pre-arrest bail in nine different cases, including cases filed against him after the May 9 riots.

Various courts dismissed the former premier's pre-arrest bail application due to his non-appearance after he was sent to jail following his conviction in the Toshakhana case on August 5. The politician later challenged these decisions of the trial courts in the IHC.

Appearing before the bench, Imran's counsel Salman Safdar contended that the trial courts dismissed his client's bail applications without discussing their merit only due to his failure to appear in court. He requested the bench to set aside the trial courts’ orders.

When the counsel for Islamabad Police told the bench that the authorities have not arrested Imran in any of the cases so far, Safdar said his client had not yet filed new post-arrest bail applications in the courts.

He said Imran Khan could not appear in the courts for the hearing of any pre-arrest bail application due to his detention at the Attock Jail. He requested the court not to order authorities to arrest Imran in any of the cases until the next hearing.

IHC Chief Justice Aamer Farooq stated that they did not want to establish such a precedent.

"We will not issue such an order. However, we can mention in the order that police have not yet arrested the PTI chief in any of the cases," he noted. The court later adjourned the case until next Thursday.