LAHORE: An anti-terrorism court on Tuesday extended interim bail of PTI Chief Imran Khan till April 13 in three cases registered against him for clashes between the PTI workers and the police outside the PTI chief’s residence at Zaman Park.

The court passed these orders after Imran appeared before it in person. The court asked Imran Khan to submit surety bonds of Rs100,000 in each case, directing him to be a part of the investigation and not remain absent on any hearing.

In the last hearing, the court had directed the PTI Chief to ensure his appearance at each subsequent hearing and also join the police investigation in the cases relating to vandalism and attack on police.

Earlier, the PTI chief initially filed a plea for exemption from hearing. The plea stated that Khan was present in the provincial capital but he couldn’t appear due to security concerns. The court said, “Those who appear before the court will be given relief.”

The court also noted that the PTI chief hadn’t even submitted the surety bonds against his bail granted on the previous hearing. The court, therefore, asked the Imran’s counsel to ensure his appearance by 11.00 am. In response, Imran’s counsel stated that the former prime minister was facing threats to his life.

The head of the Joint Investigation Team (JIT) investigating the alleged assassination threats against the PTI Chief stated that the party leader had not become a part of the investigation. The counsel of Imran, however, contented that his client had become a part of the ongoing investigation. The court asked Imran’s counsel to submit a written statement and directed the head of JIT to appear before the court on next hearing.

The court also directed the JIT to complete the probe at the earliest. The Khan’s lawyer also filed a plea for security arrangements at the court for appearance of the PTI Chief. The plea requested foolproof security for Imran Khan as the premises of the court were unsafe.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2023