Courts in the federal capital Thursday granted one-time exemptions from in-person appearances to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan in three separate cases. The former prime minister – whose government was overthrown in April last year – was scheduled to appear before a district and sessions court, the anti-terrorism court, and the Islamabad High Court (IHC). The IHC extended the interim bail of PTI’s chairman till March 21, and directed him to join the investigation process in the case regarding an attack on Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Mohsin Shahnawaz Ranjha. The court also granted a one-time exemption from attendance to the PTI chairman. IHC Chief Justice Aamer Farooq presided over the hearing.
At the outset of the hearing, Advocate General Islamabad Jahangir Jadoon informed the court that the PTI’s chief had not joined the investigation process. He said that the suspect should let the trial proceed in, at least, one case. The IHC chief justice remarked that the law would take its course if Khan didn’t join the investigation process – as his moves will have consequences. Justice Farooq observed that the court was granting time because Khan had to join the investigation. Khan’s counsel adopted the stance that no investigation officer had approached his client in this case. At this, the prosecutor said that it was the suspect who had to appear before the investigation team instead of the IO. The lawyer said that Imran was ready to join the investigation. After this, the hearing of the case was adjourned till March 21. It may be mentioned that the capital police had registered an FIR against Khan with regard to an attack on Ranjha during a protest after the decision of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) in the Toshakhana case.
A local court also granted a one-time exemption from appearance to the PTI chief and adjourned the hearing in the case of Khan allegedly threatening a female judge till March 13. Civil Judge Rana Mujahid Raheem heard the case against Khan regarding his alleged threatening remarks about the Judicial Magistrate Zeba Chaudhry. Khan’s lawyer Naeem Panjutha adopted the stance that the health condition of his client didn’t allow him to travel from Lahore to Islamabad. Furthermore, there were also life threats to the PTI’s chief, he added.