ATC rejects Imran Khan’s bail in ECP protest case

An Islamabad Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) rejected on Wednesday Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan's bail plea in a case pertaining to a protest outside the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) after its decision in the Toshakhana case, Aaj News reported.

The case was filed against the PTI chief after PTI workers took to the streets and held demonstrations outside ECP offices across Pakistan after the ECP disqualified Imran in the Toshakhana case.

Today, ATC judge Raja Jawad Abbas Hassan rejected the former PM's bail on the grounds of non-appearance in court.

Following the verdict, the PTI said on its official Twitter account that the party chairman will hold a press conference at 6pm today.

Earlier, the judge had rejected the PTI leader's request for exemption from appearance on medical grounds and summoned him to appear by 1:30pm.

PTI chairman's lawyer Babar Awan told the court that Imran tried to travel to Islamabad but could not.

ECP verdict

In October last year, a five-member ECP bench had disqualified the former PM in the case.

The verdict sparked protests outside ECP offices across Pakistan.

The ECP disqualified the PTI chief under Article 63(1)(p), which says that an individual is, “for the time being, disqualified from being elected or chosen as a member of the Majlis-e-Shoora (Parliament) or of a provincial assembly under any law for the time being in force”.

Toshakhana reference: ECP disqualifies PTI chief Imran Khan

The ECP said that the former PM submitted a false affidavit and was found to be involved in corrupt practices. The verdict says the respondent had "intentionally and deliberately violated the provisions contained [in] sections 137, 167 and 173 of the Elections Act, 2017".

As per the verdict, criminal proceedings were to be initiated against Imran for misdeclaration. The ECP also ruled that office is directed to initiate legal proceedings and to take follow-up action under Section 190(2) of the Elections Act, 2017.

IHC stops banking court

Meanwhile, on Wednesday, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) stopped a banking court from passing any direction on the former PM's bail plea in the prohibited funding case.

A two-member bench comprising Justice Mohsin Akhter Kayani and Justice Tariq Mehmood Jahangir announced the verdict while hearing a PTI petition challenging the banking court’s dismissal of its request for proceedings via video link.

The IHC stopped the banking court from taking further action in the case till February 22.

Last year, the ECP said that PTI did indeed receive prohibited funding and kept 13 bank accounts hidden.

"The data obtained from SBP reveals that all the 13 accounts disowned by PTI were opened and operated by the senior PTI management and leadership at the Central and Provincial levels.

"In this regard, it is further added that PTI failed to mention and disclose three accounts which were also being operated by the senior leadership of the party," the verdict read.

The verdict said that hiding accounts is a "violation" of Article 17 of the Constitution. As per the said article “Every political party shall account for the source of its funds in accordance with law”.

The ECP also issued a show-cause notice to PTI. The commission also said that PTI chief Imran Khan had submitted a “mis-declaration” with the commission.

Meanwhile, on Wednesday, a banking court in Islamabad directed the PTI chairman to appear in person in the prohibited funding case before the court by 3:30pm.

“If he fails to do so, the law will take its course,” Special Judge Banking Court Rakhshanda Shaheen said.

During the hearing, Imran’s lawyer Barrister Salman Safdar submitted a request in court seeking an exemption of his client. The lawyer informed the court that a similar petition had been filed in the IHC as well.

The lawyer also shared the x-rays of the PTI chief, saying that they wanted exemption for three weeks so that Imran can stand without support.

The lawyer further said that if the court was not willing to listen to his request, then it had to write that the former PM's medical reports were incorrect.