Daily Times

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Friday barred authorities from arresting PTI Chairman Imran Khan in cases – including those that are undisclosed – registered across the country until Monday (May 15).

The court also granted protective bail to the former prime minister in three terrorism cases registered against him in Lahore and the Zille Shah murder case.

Earlier in the day, a separate IHC bench accepted Imran’s bail in the Al-Qadir Trust case for two weeks, a day after the Supreme Court termed his arrest “invalid and unlawful”. It also stopped authorities from arresting the PTI chief till May 17 in any case registered in Islamabad after May 9.

A division bench comprising Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb and Justice Saman Rafat Imtiaz granted Imran two-week bail in the Al-Qadir Trust case, in which he was whisked away by Rangers from IHC premises on May 9.

The PTI chief’s bail plea was conducted in courtroom No.2. The detailed order in the case is awaited.

During the hearing, Justice Aurangzeb asked Imran if he condemned the violence that ensued after his arrest, to which the PTI chief’s lawyer replied in the affirmative. The judge then asked the ex-premier to submit a declaration in court stating the same.

The hearing had initially begun after a nearly two-hour delay with media reporting that officials were conducting a security sweep outside the courtroom. But it was halted shortly after it began at 1pm on account of Friday prayers. When the hearing resumed after 2:30pm, Imran was present in the courtroom alongside his legal team and his lawyer Khawaja Haris presented his arguments. Haris contended before the court that the National Accountability Bureau’s (NAB) actions were illegal. He said that NAB could only issue an arrest warrant after an inquiry had formally been turned into an investigation.

He said that the PTI got to know through media reports that NAB had formally initiated an investigation against Imran. Haris also said that PTI chief had approached the IHC on May 9 seeking the NAB report in the inquiry but was arrested before he could enter the courtroom.

At one point during the hearing, the court asked the petitioner if he was provided a questionnaire in connection with the case, to which Haris replied in negative. He said that Imran was issued a call-up notice which he did not appear for but instead submitted a written reply. Haris further said that the accountability watchdog was “biased” at the moment.

The court then accepted Imran’s bail plea and also instructed the NAB prosecutor general and Imran’s lawyers to come prepared at the next hearing. It also said that it would decide whether Imran’s bail should be cancelled or extended at the next hearing. Separately, IHC’s Justice Tariq Mehmood Jahangiri granted the PTI chief protective bail in three terrorism cases registered against him in Lahore for 11 days against surety bonds worth Rs50,000 each. During the hearing, the PTI chief told the court that Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah had warned of arresting him again, saying that there was no rule of law in the country currently. Earlier, Justice Jahangiri also approved Imran’s protective bail in a case pertaining to the death of Zille Shah – a PTI worker who was killed during a party rally in Lahore earlier this year – for 11 days against surety bonds worth Rs50,000. The written orders for all four cases were also issued the same day, which directed Imran to join the investigation in these cases. In an informal conversation with journalists at the IHC, Imran said that NAB officials treated him “fine” but hastened to add that he was hit on the head while being arrested. He further said that he was also not able to get in touch with his wife Bushra Bibi. “I asked the NAB team to let me talk [to her]. They let me talk to her on the landline,” he said.

Talking about violent protests in the country, he said, “How could I have stopped whatever happened? I had already told [you] that there would be a reaction to the arrest. “When I was [taken into custody], then how can I be responsible?” the former premier asked. “I was sitting in the high court. They had no reason to arrest me. I was abducted. And there they showed me the warrant for the first time when they took me to jail. This happens in the law of the jungle where the army abducts. Where did the police go? Where did the law go?” he asked. “The law of the jungle has been instated in the country. It seems as if martial law has been declared,” he said. “When I reached the court, I found out for the first time that 40 helpless people have lost their lives in this. I did not even know about this,” he added. After securing interim bail, Imran Khan finally left the IHC premises for his Zaman Park residence in Lahore following hours-long delay due to ‘security concerns’. The deposed premier faced an unexpected delay in his departure from the IHC, as shelling outside the court’s premises created a tense atmosphere. However, Imran Khan had issued an ultimatum to the administration, demanding the immediate clearance of the route.

Inside the courtroom, the Director-General of Security (DIG Security) approached Imran Khan and informed him about the ongoing shelling on Srinagar Highway, emphasising that the route was not safe for him to leave at that moment. The DIG Security requested Imran Khan to remain inside the court for his own safety. In response to the warning, Imran Khan expressed his view, stating, “If you take me out, the intensity of the shelling will decrease. The longer you keep me waiting here, it will only escalate. Once the news spreads that I have left, the situation will naturally come to an end.”