Imran tells LHC facing political vendetta

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LAHORE/ISLAMABAD:

Former prime minister Imran Khan told the Lahore High Court (LHC) that he was in the custody of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on May 9, 2023, when violent protests erupted across Pakistan, and claimed that his nomination in the rioting cases is part of a political vendetta.

On Monday, a division bench of the LHC, comprising Justice Syed Shahbaz Ali Rizvi and Justice Tariq Saleem Sheikh, resumed hearing Imran bail applications in eight May 9 cases including the Corps Commander House attack case.

The counsel for the PTI founder, Salman Safdar, told the bench that he had presented his argument at the last hearing of the case. In his petition, Imran stated that he was falsely accused that he and his party leaders hatched a conspiracy prior to May 9, 2023 to attack state institutions in the event of his arrest.

He urged the court to grant him bail in all May 9 cases and order his release. The bench will resume hearing the case on April 17. Earlier, on November 27, 2024, an anti-terrorism court (ATC) dismissed all his bail applications.

Meanwhile, an ATC in Islamabad on Monday reserved its order on bail applications of 86 PTI members who were booked in cases of vandalism after the party's November 26 protest.

The ATC presided over by Judge Abual Hasnat Muhammad Zulqarnain held a hearing on the bail petitions filed by PTI workers, who were represented in court by Advocate Sardar Muhammad Masroof, Advocate Amna Ali, Zahid Bashir Dar, Ansar Kayani, Murtaza Turi, and Fatehullah Burki.

Advocate Kayani argued that none of the accused were originally nominated in the case; they were identified later through an identification parade, which was conducted five months after the incident.

He also pointed out that the identification procedure was conducted entirely in English. "Could the police officials speak English? Could the accused understand English?" he asked.

The lawyer said no recovery was made from the accused. He lamented that when PTI workers are released in Rawalpindi after five- to six-month detention, they are implicated in cases in Islamabad.

Kayani argued that statements given in police custody carry no legal weight and there is no specific role attributed to any accused, no recoveries, and no evidence. He requested the court to grant bail, noting that the court had already granted bail to some accused in related cases.

Advocate Sardar Muhammad Masroof Khan stated that no accused was arrested from the scene by police; all were taken from their homes. The defense lawyer added that the bails previously granted by the court had also been upheld by the Islamabad High Court.

He noted that recoveries mentioned in the FIRs had already occurred in Rawalpindi.