ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC), Thursday, issued notices to the Ministry of Law and other respondents in a petition filed by former premier and Chairman Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Imran Khan seeking permission for his video link appearance in the court.
A single bench of Chief Justice Aamer Farooq heard Imran Khan’s petition filed by Salman Akram Raja and Abuzar Khan Salman Niazi.
Earlier, the Registrar’s Office had raised three objections to the PTI chief’s petition, stating that Imran Khan’s request is vague while another objection was raised about how can a video link plea be filed in the high court. The office also raised an objection to the maintainability of the video link before being heard by the court concerned.
During the hearing, Justice Aamer removed the objections and directed the office to fix the case for a regular hearing. After hearing the arguments of the petitioner’s counsels, the IHC bench issued notices to the respondents including the Ministry of Law and deferred the proceedings till March 15.
In this matter, the PTI chairman moved the petition through Advocate Faisal Fareed Chaudhry and adopted the stance that the PTI chairman has security threats during his appearance in the court. The former premier asked to provide strict security measures for his appearance before the IHC.
He informed the court that at present, till the last count, 74 cases stand registered against the petitioner in various parts of the country and these cases are part of the misuse of authority to eliminate him from the political process and include baseless charges of sedition and terrorism.
He added that in view of the security threat to the petitioner and others and the disruption that court appearances by the petitioner are likely to cause, it is respectfully submitted that the petitioner may kindly be allowed to participate in the court hearings in the cases within the jurisdiction of this court through a video link. He further said that such an appearance through video link would enable the petitioner and the courts to carry out the due process of adjudication without the threat of an untoward incident.
He maintained that the instant request is being made in view of the extraordinary circumstances caused by the appearances before the courts by the petitioner. The threat to the petitioner’s life and terrorist activity that harms others present remains a real danger.
In the petition, PTI Chairman Imran Khan also suggested that all the cases should be trialed in the judicial complex and asked for police security during court appearances.
Therefore, he prayed to the court that the respondents may kindly be directed to make arrangements for the participation and appearance of the petitioner in all cases within the jurisdiction of this court or under the administrative arrangements of the State anywhere in the country through video-link. In the alternative as regards cases in the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT), the respondents may kindly be directed to conduct hearings at the Federal Judicial Complex at such times as are likely to cause minimal disruption to other judicial work.
He also requested that the respondent State and the inspector general of police, Islamabad may kindly be directed to provide comprehensive security to the petitioner within the ICT as well as on the motorways and the national highways, particularly at the time of court appearances.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2023
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