Islamabad courts extend PTI chief’s interim bail in 11 cases till July 19
Three Islamabad courts extended on Monday PTI Chairman Imran Khan’s interim bail in 11 cases till July 19.
The cases were among 16 registered against Imran for allegedly inciting violence, defaming institutions and violating the law, in which he had earlier secured an extension in interim bail on June 19.
The PTI chief arrived at the Federal Judicial Complex (FJC) to attend the hearings as the Islamabad High Court had last month accepted his plea to shift the courts that took up these cases to the FJC from Sector F-8 Markaz.
ATC hearing
ATC Judge Abual Hasnat Zulqarnain heard three cases against Imran today, out of which two had been filed at Lahore’s Khanna police station and one at Islamabad’s Bhara Kahu police station.
At the outset of the hearing, the judge asked for the PTI chief to appear in court, remarking, “It’s a king’s [demeanour] — does he not know that the case has been called on?”
The former premier then appeared in the court, following which his counsel, Barrister Salman Safdar, informed the court that three cases were scheduled for hearing in the ATC today.
He further informed the court that his client had joined the investigation in all three cases a day ago and that the investigation has been completed.
“After he joined the investigation in Lahore cases, the investigating officers (IOs) cooperated a lot,” he said.
The lawyer further stated that “the complainant, witness and investigator in all these cases are the police. In this situation, the court has to serve us justice”.
“They (the IOs) have been asking us to show them the videos. Why did it take them so long to include us in the investigation?” he added.
At that, Judge Zulqarnain said, “We are sitting here only to serve justice to the extent of [granting] bail. Justice is that if a person is innocent, then we declare him innocent — if guilty, then guilty.”
The judge asserted that there should be a “transparent investigation” and he would not allow for a “customary proceeding” to take place. “I am saying this … without being afraid and in a clear manner.”
He further said he would not tolerate “any injustice by the police during the investigation” and would take action against the police if that turned out to be the case.
Barrister Salman then requested the court to adjourn the hearing till July 19, saying that his client had to go to Quetta on July 17 and 18 for seeking bail in another case.
The judge directed the lawyer to provide case material to the investigation team and extended Imran’s bail in the three cases till July 19.
Session courts’ hearings
Separately, Additional District and Sessions Judge (ADSJ) Farrukh Fareed presided over a hearing on two cases registered against the PTI chairman at Islamabad’s Shahzad Town police station.
At the outset of this hearing, Barrister Salman also informed this judge that his client had joined the investigation in a total of seven cases, including two of Shahzad Town.
He also told the court that Imran had to appear at the IHC as well, adding that there were “nine new cases”. Here, Advocate Sher Afzal Marwat said, “There are a total of 16 cases in the high court.”
ADSJ Fareed remarked, “This is a minor case — you have come here leaving other cases.”
Barrister Safdar then requested the sessions court to adjourn the hearing till July 19, which the judge accepted and extended Imran’s interim bail in the two cases until then.
Later, Imran appeared in another session court at the FJC for the hearing of six cases against him and one against his wife, Bushra Bibi, in a first information report registered against her at the Kohsar police station in connection with a forged receipt of Toshakhana gifts.
ADSJ Tahir Abbas Sipra had granted Bushra Bibi interim bail in the same case on June 19.
At the outset of the hearing today, Advocate Marwat requested the court to hear the case later as his clients had to appear at the IHC.
When ADSJ Sipra asked if he would present his final arguments today, the lawyer replied in the affirmative and once again requested the court to let his clients leave for the IHC.
The PTI’s legal team then attempted to escort Imran out of the court, at which the judge ordered: “No, stop the PTI chairman [from leaving].”
He then inquired about the date fixed by other courts for the next hearing, to which Advocate Marwat replied that July 19 was the date set “with the prosecution’s consent”.
At this, the prosecutor said, “Kindly fix the hearing for either tomorrow or the day after. [These] six cases are of a different nature.”
Here, Barrister Safdar informed the court that Imran had yet to join the investigation in some of the cases fixed before this court and that he had joined the investigation in the ATC cases as they “were the oldest”.
ADSJ Sipra observed, “It was not humanly possible to join the investigation in all cases in one day.”
He then asked if the PTI chief was still residing in Islamabad.
Later, Advocate Marwat requested him to fix the hearing for cases he had taken up on July 19.
The judge, accepting the request, extended Imran’s interim bail in six cases till July 19 with the warning that if Imran failed to join the investigation in the remaining cases, “I will announce the verdict at the next hearing”.
The court also extended Bushra Bibi’s bail till July 19.