ISLAMABAD: A special court on Wednesday deferred its verdict on interim bail to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan in a prohibited funding case in view of the Islamabad High Court (IHC)’s judgment regarding the matter.
The banking court judge, Rakhshanda Shaheen, after 4pm, the time fixed for the appearance of Khan, announced that the court has confirmed that the IHC has stopped us from passing an order on the PTI chairman’s bail plea. The court directed Khan’s counsel to submit a certified copy of the IHC’s judgment till the next hearing to be held on February 18.
Khan’s lawyer requested the court to wait for the order of IHC till 4pm. The judge said that if the court does not issue a stay order, a verdict on the bail plea will be announced on Khan’s plea.
The court sought a copy of the stay order issued by the IHC. The judge said that the copy of the IHC will be verified after the court receives it.
The judge adjourned the hearing till the IHC’s order was received.
Barrister Salman Safdar, while arguing before the court over Khan’s plea seeking an extension in interim bail, requested the court to extend his client’s bail for three weeks. He further said that it takes three months for a young person to recover in case of a bullet injury.
Safdar said that Khan was also exempted from appearing for biometric verification due to his old age. He also produced Khan’s x-rays before the court. We are requesting only three weeks so he can stand without support. If our plea is not heard then it must be written that our medical report was incorrect, he said, adding that the court must also write that the PTI chief was not attacked. He also told the court that his client was not present in Islamabad at the moment.
Once Khan’s lawyer wrapped up his arguments, co-accused Tariq Shafi’s lawyer Mian Ali Ashfaq came to the rostrum.
Special prosecutor Raja Rizwan Abbasi, while arguing before the court, objected to Khan’s plea seeking an extension in interim bail. He requested the court to reject Khan’s bail application. The court, after completion of the arguments of both parties, ordered Khan to appear before it at 3:30 pm.
NNI adds:
An anti-terrorism court in Islamabad has rejected the bail application of former prime minister and PTI Chairman Imran Khan in a case pertaining to PTI’s protest against the ECP verdict.
The ATC court had summoned Imran Khan in person to appear before the court today. But the PTI chief chose not to appear before the court. Instead, his lawyer filed an application on his behalf seeking his exemption from court appearance on medical grounds.
But ATC Judge Jawad Abbas rejected PTI Chairman Imran Khan’s application and summoned him to appear before the court by 2:30pm.
As the clock struck 2:30 pm and Imran did not appear, Judge Jawad Abbas rejected his bail application.
Meanwhile, the Islamabad High Court has barred a banking court from further action against Imran Khan who was ordered to appear before it today.
The ATC and banking courts in Islamabad on Wednesday ordered Imran Khan to appear before them today rejecting his applications seeking exemption from appearance.
First, banking court rejected Imran Khan’s application and hours later the anti-terrorism court ordered the PTI chief to appear before it by 1:30 pm today which he ignored.
The banking court has, however, directed him to appear until the court rises for the day today.
Islamabad High Court on Wednesday barred the banking court from taking any decision until February 22 on a bail application of PTI Chairman Imran Khan in the foreign funding case.
Islamabad High Court’s Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani and Justice Tariq Mehmood Jahangiri heard an appeal filed by Imran Khan against ruling of the banking court.
The IHC instructed Imran to submit fresh medical reports and stopped the banking court from taking further action in the case till Feb 22.
The counsel for Imran Khan Barrister Salman Safdar said that interim bail was granted on October 17 whereas Wazirabad incident took place on November 3. The lawyer said two times before the incident and six times after the Wazirabad incident the court was requested to exempt Imran from court appearance.
Barrister Safdar further said that his client is recuperating and it takes time to heal the wounds in older age. He said Imran never hesitated to attend courts. Now medical grounds were evident before everyone and these were based on facts, he added.
Earlier in the day, a banking court in Islamabad has ordered Chairman Imran Khan to appear before it today, rejecting his application seeking exemption from appearance.
The PTI, however, has challenged the banking court’s order in Islamabad High Court.
Directing the registrar office to mark number on the petition filed by Imran Khan against a banking court’s decision ordering him to appear before it today, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) admitted his petition for hearing along with objections.
A two-member bench of the IHC, comprising Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kiyani and Justice Tariq Mehmood Jahangiri, gave temporary exemption to the PTI chief from the biometrics.
Speaking on the occasion, Imran’s counsel said that his client had already appeared in the special court and wanted to appear again. “In the light of recent decision by the Supreme Court (SC), if a suspect appears in the court once, he may be given an exemption next time,” he added.
Addressing Imran’s lawyer, Justice Jahangiri remarked that already eight times his client had sought adjournment.
Counsel for the PTI chief said that the petitioner was injured and could not travel. “Besides that he is old as well. But doctors say he will be able to walk by the end of this month,” he informed.
He added he was ready to give an affidavit that Imran wanted to appear in the court.
Meanwhile, complying with the Islamabad High Court’s order, the banking court has deferred its decision on the bail application of the PTI chief.
The banking court Judge Rakhshanda Khursheed sought the attested copies of the high court’s order on Feb 18.
Earlier, a banking court in Islamabad ordered former prime minister and PTI Chairman Imran Khan to appear before it today, rejecting his application seeking exemption from appearance.
During proceedings on Wednesday, Judge Shaheen remarked that the law would take its course if Imran Khan did not appear in court.
The judge ordered the PTI chief to ‘appear until the court rises for the day today’.
Saying this, she adjourned the hearing of the case till 3:30pm.
Earlier, Judge Shaheen also banned media coverage of the prohibited funding case and took break in the proceedings till 11:00 am.
Strict security arrangements were made on the occasion. PTI Chairman Imran Khan requested the court to exempt him from personal appearance.
The judge, during the proceedings, said there should be only the petitioner and his lawyer in the court, and the rest of the people should go out of the courtroom. She said it was her court and she would run it in her own way. She said she could not start proceedings with so much rush of people in the courtroom. She said all the people should have gone out of the court when her staff had asked them to do so.
The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) Wednesday directed Imran Khan to submit a reply in the case of his removal as the party chairman.
“Petitioner Afaq Ahmed does not appear. The petition against Imran Khan should be dismissed for non-compliance,” Imran Khan’s lawyer Barrister Gohar argued before the court.
“Present your arguments. We will look into matter then,” the ECP Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Member said.
“The Lahore High Court (LHC) has stopped the ECP from taking action against Imran Khan. The court has sent the matter to the full bench,” Barrister Gohar told the court.
“Provide a copy of the petition filed in the LHC,” the ECP KP member said.
“The ECP’s notice of Imran Khan’s removal from the party leadership has been challenged. The ECP’s notice is in the LHC’s order,” Barrister Gohar said.
“The ECP does not even decide the admissibility of the case and you take the matter to the court. After the stay order, we are left with come and stay in the office,” the ECP KP member said.
“The high court did not stop the case from being pursued,” the ECP Balochistan member said.
“In the case, the ECP has taken suo motu notice,” Imran Khan’s lawyer said.
“Neither does the ECP take suo motu, nor does it have any such authority,” the ECP KP member pointed out.
“Some applications are received in the office of the ECP and heard. It cannot be called suo motu,” the KP member said.
“We are also giving a notice to the petitioner whether he is interested or not,” he added. The court then adjourned further hearing of the case till March 7 next.
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