The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Monday granted interim bail to PTI chairman Imran Khan till April 6, in seven FIRs pertaining to riot and vandalizing public property at the judicial complex Islamabad.
The court stopped police from arresting the petitioner till the next date and also sought comments from the federal government regarding the withdrawal of security from the former prime minister.
A two-judge bench comprising Chief Justice Aamer Farooq and Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb heard the bail cases along with the objections raised by the registrar’s office in FIRs registered by various police stations.
Former prime minister Imran Khan appeared before the court in a personal capacity.
During the course of the proceeding, the chief justice questioned why the petitioner had bypassed the relevant forum. He said that the biometric verification could also be done from anywhere.
The chief justice observed that the law and order situation would be critical only when around ten thousand people would come along with the petitioner. He said that we admitted that the PTI was a big political party and people use to come but law and order also needed to be maintained.
Justice Farooq further noted that serious security threats to the life of Imran Khan could be a genuine fact and he had already faced an attack in the past.
Justice Miangul Hassan said that several times this court had given directions to the chief commissioner to ensure the security arrangements. The chief justice remarked that unfortunately Salman Taseer incident also took place here.
The court said the former prime minister Imran Khan also had his own security. Justice Farooq remarked that it was serving notice to the federal government on the issue of security for the ex-prime minister.
The chief justice remarked that withdrawing security from the former prime minister was a wrong act. Justice Miangul Hassan asked the advocate general to get information and ensure the restoration of security immediately if it was withdrawn.
Advocate General Islamabad Jahangir Jadoon said that the trial court was shifted from Kachehri to judicial complex for security reasons. It was also the responsibility of Imran Khan to ensure a peaceful environment during his appearance, he said, and alleged that PTI workers set fire to the vehicles there.
The court also stopped Chaudhry Fawad Hussain and Jahangir Jadoon from cross-talk before it.
During hearing, Imran Khan also arrived at the rostrum and requested permission to speak. However, the court asked him to sit in his seat.
Imran’s lawyer Barrister Salman Safdar argued that there was a threat to the life of the former prime minister.
The petitions had stated that the FIRs against Imran Khan were registered on political grounds. It prayed the court to grant
PTI chairman interim bail and stop the police from arresting him.
Imran Khan’s lawyer Barrister Salman Safdar argued that Lahore High Court (LHC) had accepted the protective bail to his client on March 17. His client filed bail petitions to the anti-terrorism court on March 18, but he was not allowed to enter.
He said that two former prime ministers had been assassinated in the history of Pakistan. He said that his client had no objections to go judicial complex.
Earlier, the registrar’s office had raised two objections against the petitions including shortage of Imran Khan’s biometric verifications and moving the cases directly to the high court without approaching the trial court.
