pakistan

Produce Imran Khan in Supreme Court within an hour, orders CJP Bandial

Published

1 year ago

May 11, 2023

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The Supreme Court of Pakistan on Thursday ordered that PTI chairman Imran Khan should be produced in court within an hour.

He remarked that the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) had committed contempt of court by violating court sanctity while arresting PTI chief Imran Khan.

The Supreme Court heard a petition filed by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf against the arrest of party chairman Imran Khan in the Al-Qadir Trust case.

A three-member bench, headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan Umar Ata Bandial and comprising Justice Athar Minallah and Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar, is hearing the case while PTI lawyers are present in court. The PTI has challenged a verdict of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) declaring the arrest of party chief Imran Khan “lawful”. The PTI argued that the arrest of Imran Khan was illegal and sought his immediate release.

Thursday’s hearing

At the outset of the hearing, PTI lawyer Hamid Khan told the bench that the ex-premier had reached the Islamabad High Court for biometric verification to file a petition for his pre-arrest bail. He said Imran Khan was taken into custody when he was undergoing the biometric process. “Why he was arrested when he was going to surrender to the court?” he questioned, adding that the former premier was also mishandled during the episode.

CJP Bandial remarked as per the high court’s record a petition of Mr Khan had been filed but it was yet to be fixed for hearing.
At which, the lawyer said biometric verification was compulsory for filing the petition.

Later, the chief justice remarked that the NAB had disgraced the judiciary by making the arrest on the premises of the high court.

At one point, Justice Athar Minallah said Mr Khan should have not been arrested when he was going to surrender. “It was better if NAB gets permission from high court’s registrar to arrest him”.

When Justice Minallah asked the PTI lawyer what he wanted from the court, Hamid Khan pleaded the bench to issue an order for the release of Imran Khan.

While stressing the respect of courts, the CJP recalled that once NAB had arrested a suspect from the apex court’s parking and it was reversed with a surety from the anti-graft watchdog that it will not made any arrest from court premises.

After hearing the arguments, the chief justice ordered the authorities to produce the former premier before the court within one hour.

IHC Verdict

The IHC on Tuesday night declared the arrest of Imran Khan ‘legal’. IHC Chief Justice Amir Farooq announced the reserved verdict by accepting the point of view of the NAB. Earlier, it reserved verdict in the case whether the arrest, hours earlier, was illegal or had legal backing.

The CJ sprang into action soon after a team of Rangers took Imran Khan into custody on the premises of court where the PTI chief had come in two cases.

Earlier, a team of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), with the help of Rangers, took Imran Khan into custody, prompting the IHC to take notice. The NAB adopted a view that Imran Khan did not respond to the notices sent to him and his arrest was ‘completely in line with law and as per NAB ordinance’.

Imran’s arrest warrant was signed by NAB Chairman retired Lt-Gen Nazir Ahmed. It said the PTI chief was accused of corruption and corrupt practices under Section 9(a) of the National Accountability Ordinance, 1999.

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pakistan

Court reserves verdict on PTI founder’s bail plea in May 9 case

Published

1 day ago

May 16, 2024

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Court reserves verdict on PTI founder's bail plea in May 9 case

The Islamabad district and sessions court has reserved verdict on the bail plea of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder in the May 9 case.

Judicial Magistrate Omar Shabbir heard the case against the PTI leader registered in Shahzad Town police station.

Naeem Haider Panjhota, Sardar Masroof and Amina Ali appeared before the judge as counsel for the PTI leader.

The lawyers said the case against the PTI founder had not been pursued by an authorised officer. All cases against him had been instituted on the basis of politics and should, therefore, be quashed, they demanded.

The court after listening to the arguments reserved the verdict.

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pakistan

Rawalpindi court bins plea for initiating case against former commissioner Liaquat Chattha

Published

1 day ago

May 16, 2024

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Rawalpindi court bins plea for initiating case against former commissioner Liaquat Chattha

The Rawalpindi Sessions Court on Thursday dismissed a petition seeking the registration of a case against former Rawalpindi commissioner Liaquat Ali Chattha.

Additional District and Sessions Judge Hakim Khan issued a two-page written order on the petition.

In its order, the court observed that apart from the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), a departmental inquiry was also being conducted against the former commissioner.

If the allegations were proven in the ECP and departmental inquiries, a legal action was certain, the order stated, adding that in this situation, there was no justification for registering a separate case against the former Rawalpindi commissioner.

Two lawyers from Rawalpindi had filed the petition seeking the registration of a case against former commissioner.

In a Feb 18 presser, the former commissioner admitted that elections in his division were “rigged”.

The commissioner accused Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Sultan Raja of being complicit in the rigging and asserted that he, along with the CEC and Chief Justice of Pakistan Qazi Faez Isa, deserved punishment, even the death penalty, for their injustice.

Chattha expressed remorse for forcing his subordinates to engage in wrongdoing and admitted that winning candidates were made to lose on 13 seats in the Rawalpindi division.

Later on Feb 23, Chattha retracted his earlier statement in a written statement submitted to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).

In the statement, Chattha confessed to having supported the narrative of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) about rigging in the general elections and maligning state institutions in exchange for a lucrative position in the future.

He stated he had been made this offer by a Lahore-based PTI leader with whom he had developed a close friendship.

Chattha alleged that “this entire planning had been formulated after consultation and approval of the senior leadership of PTI”.

He stated that this proposal was made by the said [PTI] individual in consideration of the fact that he was about to retire from service after having remained a part of the services for 32 years and enjoyed all the perks and privileges.

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pakistan

IHC orders Zartaj Gul to appear before court with record in ECL name removal case

Published

1 day ago

May 16, 2024

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IHC orders Zartaj Gul to appear before court with record in ECL name removal case

Islamabad High Court (IHC) has sought the record from Zartaj Gul’s counsel on a petition seeking the name removal of PTI leader and MNA Zartaj Gul from the Exit Control List (ECL).

IHC’s Justice Tariq Mehmood Jahangiri heard the case on Zartaj Gul’s name removal from ECL.

During the hearing, the state counsel stated that Zartaj Gul’s name has been included in the Provisional National Identification List (PNIL).

Upon inquiry from the court, the state counsel informed that Zartaj Gul’s name was included in PNIL on the order of Islamabad and Punjab police, and the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) was responsible for including the name in PNIL.

Also read: PTI’s Shibli Faraz, Raja Basharat, Zartaj Gul secure bail in May 9 cases

State counsel added that five cases were registered against Zartaj Gul in Islamabad and Punjab.

The petitioner’s counsel, Advocate Usama, disclosed that Zartaj Gul has been granted bail in those cases. He reiterated that the name was being included in the PNIL list despite being on bail.

During the hearing, Justice Tariq Jahangiri inquired about how many cases Zartaj Gul has been granted bail in and ordered the petitioner to appear before the court in the next hearing.

Consequently, IHC has adjourned the case hearing until next week by directing Zartaj Gul’s counsel to appear before the court in the next hearing with records.

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