ISLAMABAD: An accountability court on Tuesday extended interim bail of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman and former prime minister Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi in £190 million Al-Qadir Trust case.

The former prime minister was also granted interim bail by the same court in Toshakhana case and barred the anti-graft watchdog, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) from arresting him.

AC-I Judge Muhammad Bashir heard the bail cases filed by ex-prime minister Imran Khan in the NAB.

Sardar Muzaffar Abbasi, the deputy prosecutor general of NAB, prayed the court to dismiss the interim bail of the former prime minister for skipping a court appearance earlier.

He took the plea that the former prime minister also did not join the investigation, adding the PTI chief was served notices five times but he appeared before the court only twice.

He insisted that the top anti-graft body had served four notices to Bushra Bibi, the wife of the PTI chief, but she turned up in the court after the fourth notice was issued and skipped the previous three notices.

However, he told the court that no arrest warrants have so far been issued against the former First Lady.

He said that some record pertaining to Al-Qadir Trust was also missing, and insisted that those who benefited from the scam might have taken the important documents with him.

Khawaja Harris, the counsel for Imran Khan, prayed the court to grant more time for arguments in the case, adding that his client had to appear in other courts today (Tuesday).

He said the NAB had summoned – for the first time – Imran Khan and his wife simultaneously in Toshakhana case instead of the Al-Qadir Trust case.

He said his client responded to every notice sent to him by the NAB, adding that Bushra Bibi had informed the NAB that she would appear in the court along with her husband.

He prayed the court to fix the case for July 17. However, the court extended the interim bail of both Imran Khan and his wife in the Al-Qadir Trust case till July 13.

The same court also heard the pre-arrest bail case of Imran Khan in Toshakhana case and accepted it against surety bonds worth Rs500,000 till July 13.

After spending almost three hours in the NAB court, the PTI chief along with his wife left for Lahore.

Earlier in the day, local courts extended the interim bails of the PTI chief in 10 cases involving riot, vandalising public property, and violation of section-144 of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC).

Additional District and Session Judge Tahir Abbas Sipra heard the interim bail petitions of the ousted prime minister in six cases.

Sher Afzal Marwat, the counsel for the PTI chief, raised objections over the court, saying the court had already disclosed its mindset in the matter to the extent of two co-accused.

He said the decision should have been announced together and prayed the judge to transfer the case to another court.

Salman Safdar advocate also requested the court to shift the case, adding that the same court had decided the bails of two co-accused a few days ago.

The judge said that he would not disassociate himself from the case as the court used to take decisions as per law.

He said the lawyer never raised any objection over the court when he appeared before it on behalf of two co-accused in the case. “You should have raised the issue in the beginning that the decision in the case should be announced simultaneously,” said the judge. Meanwhile, another court extended the interim bail of Imran Khan in six cases till July 10 and instructed the petitioner to join the investigation.

Similarly, Additional District and Sessions Judge Fareed Baloch heard the bail petitions of the ex-prime minister in two cases registered by Shahzad Town Police Station.

Prosecutor Zahid Asif informed the court that Imran Khan has not joined the investigation so far. The court, however, extended the bail till July 10.

Additional District and Session Judge Sikandar Khan also extended the bail of Imran Khan in the FIR registered by Margalla Police station.

Salman Safdar advocate prayed the court to extend the bail of his client as he had already joined the investigation.

The judge remarked that the court was extending bail till July 19, as the shifting process of lower courts to the new complex.

Additional District and Session Judge Muhammad Haroon also extended the bail of Imran Khan till the same date in another case registered by Khanna police station.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2023