ISLAMABAD: The bench of the Islamabad High Court (IHC), which was hearing a petition related to arrest of founder Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi in a second reference in Toshakhana gift, referred the matter to Chief Justice Aamer Farooq.
A division bench of IHC comprising Justice Miangul Hasan Aurangzeb and Justice Arbab Muhammad Tahir, on Thursday, conducted hearing of the case.
During the hearing, petitioners’ counsel Salman Safdar informed the bench that another division bench already issued notices to the respondents after first hearing following no further proceeding held on it.
Justice Miangul Hassan remarked that according to the NAB’s reply, the accused Imran said that he would not join the investigations at all; adding it is unacceptable if the accused says that he will not join the investigations.
Barrister Salman said that the court will have to look into the conduct of the NAB before seeing the matter related to the physical remand of Imran. He further said it is the fourth case of a same incident which is based on mala fide intention.
Later, the bench sent the matter to the IHC chief justice, saying to club all the other same petitions and fix the case before any available bench.
Earlier, the petitions against the arrest of Imran and Bushra in the new Toshakhana case were heard on July 25 by a two-member division bench comprising Chief Justice Aamer Farooq and Justice Saman Raffat Imtiaz; however, lawyers of PTI founder asked IHC Chief Justice Aamer Farooq not to hear the case.
The lawyers said that the PTI founder had filed a complaint against the IHC chief justice in the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC), so now he should not hear the case and send the case to another bench.
Chief Justice Aamer Farooq rejected the request to leave the bench due to the filing of the reference and directed the lawyer to present his arguments.
Later, a new bench was formed to hear petitions against the arrest of PTI founder Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi in the Toshakhana case as Justice Saman Raffat Imtiaz went on summer vacation and she is not available to hear the case.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2024