LHC to hear Imran’s bail petitions in Toshakhana, other cases today
The Lahore High Court (LHC) will on Monday hear PTI chairman Imran Khan’s bail petitions in three different cases pertaining to the Toshakhana reference, vandalism at the Islamabad judicial complex and violence outside the Islamabad High Court (IHC).
The former prime minister’s lawyer, Azhar Siddique, said that the LHC’s registrar had allotted numbers to the pleas and they would be heard today.
However, Dawn.com has learnt that the LHC registrar has raised objections on Imran’s plea, saying that complete documents had not been submitted along with the petitions.
The PTI chief approached the court on Sunday after an Islamabad police team arrived at his Zaman Park residence to arrest him for skipping proceedings in the Toshakhana case. However, it returned empty-handed after Imran evaded the arrest.
Toshakhana case
The 70-year-old former prime minister, who has been recovering from a gunshot injury from an assassination attempt in Wazirabad last year, has thrice skipped indictment hearings in an Islamabad sessions court in the Toshakhana case.
Imran is accused of concealing, in his assets declarations, details of the gifts he retained from the Toshakhana — a repository where presents handed to government officials from foreign officials are kept. Officials are legally allowed to retain gifts provided they pay a pre-assessed amount, typically a fraction of the value of the gift.
Imran was set to be indicted in the Toshakhana Reference on Feb 28, but his lawyer had requested Additional District and Session Judge Zafar Iqbal that he be exempted from the hearing because he had to appear in several other courts. His indictment was deferred twice before.
The judge had then issued non-bailable arrest warrants for Imran and adjourned the hearing till March 7.
In the petition filed in LHC yesterday, Imran sought protective bail in the case for a period of at least 15 days so he could approach the concerned sessions court in Islamabad.
Vandalism at Islamabad judicial complex
On Feb 28, the Islamabad police registered a case at the Ramna police against Imran and other leaders of the PTI for vandalism at the Islamabad judicial complex during his appearance in court.
The first information report, a copy of which is available with Dawn.com, invoked sections 148 (Rioting, armed with deadly weapon), 149 (Every member of unlawful assembly guilty of offence committed in prosecution of common object), 186 (Obstructing public servant in discharge of public functions), 353 (Assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty), 506 (Punishment for criminal intimidation) and 427 (Mischief causing damage to the amount of fifty rupees) of the Pakistan Penal Code.
It also included Section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act.
In a petition filed in the LHC, Imran prayed that he be granted protective bail in the case, saying that the charges against him were based on “fabricated facts”.
Violence at IHC
The third petition filed in the LHC pertained to a case registered against the PTI chief and other party leaders for violence outside the Islamabad High Court during Imran’s appearance on Feb 28.
The FIR stated that PTI supporters had forcefully entered the premises of the IHC and attacked police officers present there while chanting slogans and displaying weapons.
The complaint, registered at the Ramna police station, also included terrorism sections.