Imran moves IHC for restoring bail plea

NAB objects to bail for PTI chairperson; similar plea dismissed by accountability court over non-appearance in court

ISLAMABAD:

The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) raised objections to a plea in the Islamabad High Court (IHC) for restoring the bail applications of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan in the Toshakhana investigation and the £190 million scam case.

Imran’s bail application was dismissed by an accountability court for not appearing in the court. In his petition in the IHC, Imran contended that since he was under arrest at that time therefore he could not appear in the court in person. He requested the court to reinstate his bail application.

An IHC bench, led by Chief Justice Aamer Farooq and including Justice Tariq Mehmood Jahangiri heard the petition. Deputy NAB Prosecutor General Sardar Muzaffar Abbasi raised the objection that bail applications could not be restored under the NAB Ordinance.

The bench authorised an officer of the law ministry to submit details of the NAB Ordinance 1999 and the amendments made to it so far.

The same division bench also heard the main appeal of Imran for the suspension of trail court’s verdict in the Toshakhana case, in which the PTI chief was given three-year sentence on August 5. It was contended that previously, the IHC had suspended the sentencing but not the whole verdict.

Advocate Shehbaz Khosa appeared in the court on behalf of the PTI chairman. The court was informed the lawyer for the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) was out of the country. Later, the court adjourned the hearing until November 20.