ISLAMABAD: A banking court on Thursday extended the interim bail of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan and others till November 23 in prohibited funding case.
Banking court judge Rakhshanda Shaheen, while hearing a prohibited funding case against Khan and others, extended Khan’s interim bail. At the start of the hearing, Khan’s lawyer filed an application before the court seeking an exemption for his client before it.
The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) prosecutor, Raja Rizwan Abbasi, while objecting to Khan’s exemption application argued that all citizens are treated as equal in the eyes of the law and no one is given preferential treatment over another.
During the hearing, defense counsel Intizar Panjhota assured the court that his client will join the investigation. The court asked Panjhota when will his client join the investigation.
Panjhota replied that Khan is on bed rest for one week and after carrying out his medical, he will join the investigation. So far,24 first information reports (FIRs) has been registered against Khan and he had joined all investigation, he said.
The prosecutor further told the court that the accused, Tariq Shafi, Colonel Younus Al Raza (retd), and Hamid Zaman have joined the investigation, while the other accused neither join the investigation nor cooperated with the investigation team.
The court after hearing the arguments of both parties granted an exemption to Khan and adjourned the case till November 23.
Meanwhile, PTI leader Saifullah Niazi, an accused in a prohibited funding case moved an application before the court seeking interim bail. The court approved Niazi’s interim bail against surety bonds of Rs 100,000. The court directed the PTI’s leader to join the investigation and granted him interim bail till November 23.
The FIR lodged by the FIA in Islamabad in the case, includes sections 420, 468, 471, 477-A, and 109 read with sections 5 and 23 of the Foreign Exchange Regulation Act, 1947.
Meanwhile, the Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) extended the interim bail of the PTI chairman and others in a terrorism case filed against him after demonstrations were held following his disqualification by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) in the Toshakhana case.
The ATC judge, Raja Jawad Abbas, while hearing Khan’s bail plea extended interim bail till November 21 in the case registered against him at Tarnol police station.
At the start of the hearing, Khan’s lawyer Babar Awan filed an application before the court seeking an extension in interim bail in a case of violating Section 144 and interfering in the affairs of the state.
Awan filed a request seeking Khan’s exemption from the court’s hearing which was approved by the court. The court after hearing arguments extended Khan’s interim bail till November 21.
The same court also accepted the bail plea of PTI leader Raja Khurram Nawaz, restricting police from arresting him till November 14.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2022
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