Daily Times

An anti-terrorism court (ATC) on Friday dismissed the interim bail of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan over non-appearance in seven cases pertaining to May-9 vandalism.

ATC Judge Ijaz Ahmad Buttar conducted the proceedings on the pre-arrest bail petitions of Imran Khan in seven cases, registered under Anti-Terrorism Act, including the Jinnah House attack case.

Earlier, Imran Khan’s counsel argued before the court that bail petitions could not be dismissed over non-appearance. He submitted that as per the Supreme Court judgments, the bail petitions could not be dismissed on technical grounds. He pleaded with the court to grant some time for preparation in this regard.

However, the court dismissed the plea and asked the counsel to advance his arguments on the law point.

The counsel submitted that convicts and accused were regularly produced on the court orders and pleaded with the court to summon the PTI chairman as well.

At this, the court observed that the convicts were not produced and their interim bail was also dismissed, adding that it could not form a new law. The counsel submitted that the PTI chairman appeared regularly before the court and he still wanted to appear. To which, the court noted that when Imran Khan was free, he did not come to the court.

At this stage, Special Prosecutor Farhad Ali Shah opposed the plea for summoning the PTI chairman, adding that there was no reason to adjourn the court proceedings for an interim bail. He submitted that there was no legal method under which a convict could be produced for an interim bail. If the conviction was suspended, then the accused would be entitled to the interim bail, he added. He pleaded with the court to dismiss the interim bail. The court, after hearing detailed arguments of the parties, reserved its verdict for some time.

Later, the court announced the verdict and dismissed interim bail of the PTI chairman in the cases, besides dismissing an application for exemption from personal appearance.

Meanwhile, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Friday reserved its judgment, observing that it would pass an appropriate order in an appeal of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman seeking his shifting from the District Jail Attock to the Central Jail Adiala.

Chief Justice Aamer Farooq reserved the verdict after hearing arguments from respondents in the said case.

During the course of proceedings, the chief justice remarked that the petitioner was of the view that the trial court had sent him to the Adiala Jail but he was lodged in the Attock Jail. Assistant Advocate General Punjab Rao Shaukat produced the notification regarding shifting of the convict to the Attock Jail, saying reasons were mentioned about the action.

To the court’s query, he said that a lawyer of PTI chairman had already met him on August 7 to take his signatures on the power of attorney and other documents.

The court questioned whether a lawyer could meet his client only for his taking signatures on document. Rejecting the requests to visit the prisoner could fall under contempt of court, he added.

Rao Shaukat said the jail administration had permitted the lawyer to visit Imran Khan on August 7, but they reached late on August 8 and 9.

The petitioner’s counsel Sher Afzal Marawat argued that the lawyers were being humiliated in the matter of meeting their client.

The chief justice observed that the PTI chief was a former prime minister and leader of a big political party, and at the same time he was convicted, and “we have to move while keeping in mind all of this together”.

He said the court was viewing the matter deeply so such thing wouldn’t happen again. The PTI chairman should be provided facilities as per the rules, he added.

The chief justice said the court would pass an order pertaining to the provision of facilities to the PTI chief in prison and the permission to meet his lawyers. After this, the court reserved its verdict.