ISLAMABAD: The Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) on Thursday extended the interim bail of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman and former prime minister Imran Khan in a terrorism case registered against him for his controversial remarks against a female judge during a rally in the city last month.

ATC judge Raja Jawad Abbas, while hearing the case, extended former premier Khan’s interim bail till September 12 against a surety of Rs100,000. At the start of the hearing, the PTI chairman’s counsel Babar Awan filed a bail application before the court and requested the court to grant bail to his client.

The judge remarked that there is no example that a suspect granted bail who did not appear before the court.

Those who appear before the court gets bail. Your client will have to appear before the court. Awan told the court that his client is present in the city but Islamabad police informed Khan through a letter that there is a threat to his life due to which he did not appear.

It was the job of the police to provide him security, he further said.

Awan told the court that four more charges including section 186 (offence of obstructing public servant in the execution of public duty), 504 (criminal intimidation), 506 (punishment for criminal intimidation), and 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant) have been added to the FIR registered against Khan. He pleaded the court to grant bail to Khan in the new clauses as well.

The judge also questioned the prosecutor that the FIR was ever registered under section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATC) without the commission of a crime. Section 7 of ATC is added to the FIR only when a crime is committed, the judge said.

The judge further told the prosecutor that you have to prove which Kalashnikov rifle was recovered and which suicide jacket had been worn for carrying out the attack.

The court also summoned records of the case and issued directives to read out the statement of who had been threatened. The judge also asked how many terrorism cases had been handled by that dutiful officer.

The judge remarked that he would hear the arguments on the bail plea today.

The prosecutor replied that first bring the suspect to the court then they will start arguments.

Awan requested the court to grant him time till 12:00 noon he will produce his client. If anything happened to his client Inspector General of Police (IGP) and Deputy Inspector General (DIG) police will be responsible, he said.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2022