ISLAMABAD: A local court on Tuesday extended the interim bail of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman and former prime minister Imran Khan till October 13 in a case relating to vandalism and damage to government property during the PTI’s long march on May 25.
Additional Session Judge Zafar Iqbal, while hearing the case, extended Khan’s interim bail till October 13.
At the start of the hearing, Khan’s lawyer Baber Awan filed a petition before the court seeking a one-day exemption before it, which the court approved.
Awan appeared before the court and requested to give his client an exemption from personal appearance in the court as he is unable to attend the hearing today because he is in Lahore.
The court accepted Khan’s exemption from the appearance plea and extended his bail till October 13.
The FIR against Imran Khan was lodged at the Kohsar Police Station.
Meanwhile, the same court extended Imran Khan and other party leaders’ bail till September 30 in the section 144 violation case in a protest rally. The court extended interim bail of Asad Qaiser, Asad Umar, Ali Nawaz Awan, Shehzad Waseem, Raja Khurram Shehzad, Fayyaz ul Hassan Chohan, Faisal Javed, Saifullah Khan Niazi, Sadaqat Ali Abbasi, Firdous Shamim Naqvi, and Shehryar Afridi against the surety bonds of Rs10,000.
Khan’s lawyer, Baber Awan filed an application before the court seeking a one-day exemption for his client, which the court approved. The court rejected Murad Saeed’s exemption application. During the hearing, the judge told Qaiser that you have arrived late. To this, Qaiser’s counsel told the court that his client was in Lahore. He further told the court that Shamim Naqvi was not in the city. The judge inquired about the investigation officer (IO) of the case.
The judge asked Naqvi, have you joined the investigation? Yes, I have joined the investigation, Naqvi replied.
The judge asked the IO whether Naqvi has joined the investigation and whether he was present at the rally.
The IO told the court that he is trying to obtain his mobile data and moved an application to the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) for footage. PTI leader Naqvi told the court that he was in Karachi on the day of the rally. The police have made mean accused by posting pictures of another rally, he said.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2022