Daily Times

The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Friday halted authorities from taking any action against PTI Chairman Imran Khan in cases in which he has not been nominated.

The verdict was announced by LHC Justice Amjad Rafiq on a petition by the PTI chief to consolidate the cases against him in Punjab for hearing and to stay their proceedings. According to the court order, the assistant advocate general said that the additional advocate general who was assigned the case was not available due to being indisposed and sought time. The order added that the assistant advocate general said that regarding the challans of cases, reports were being prepared by the respective agencies.

Thus, Justice Rafiq ordered that “no coercive measures shall be taken against the petitioner in FIRs (first information report) wherein he is not nominated, till the next date of hearing” and adjourned the case to July 21.

Separately, the PTI chief also appeared before a Joint Investigation Team (JIT) probing the vandalism of Jinnah House – the Lahore corps commander’s residence – on May 9 on Friday, his lawyer confirmed.

Imran’s counsel Ali Ijaz Buttar said the PTI chairman had joined the investigation in six cases related to May 9 and recorded his statements regarding them.

Buttar claimed Imran answered all questions asked of him. “We complied with Lahore ATC’s order and due process of law has been completed,” he added.

On May 9 after the PTI chief was arrested by the National Accountability Bureau in the Al-Qadir Trust case, protesters took to the streets across the country and notably ransacked the corps commander’s residence in Lahore and tore down a gate of the General Headquarters in Rawalpindi.

Subsequently, cases were registered against Imran and his party workers.

Earlier, a district and sessions court in Islamabad adjourned the Toshakhana case hearing against the PTI chief at the request of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).

When the hearing began, the ECP’s legal team member Saad Hasan told the court that the commission’s senior lawyer Amjad Parvez was busy with some personal engagements, and he would be unable to provide arguments in the hearing today.

Hasan requested the court to adjourn the hearing to July 17 (Monday). Imran’s counsel Barrister Gohar requested the court to fix the hearing for 11am on Monday. The court accepted the ECP’s request and deferred the hearing until next week.