ISLAMABAD: The Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC), on Tuesday, extended interim bail of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan in eight cases till June 8.
The ATC judge, Raja Jawad Abbas, while hearing the bail petitions of Imran Khan extended his bail till June 8 in eight cases pertaining to violence in the judicial complex. Khan appeared before the court along with his wife Bushra Bibi.
Khan’s counsel Barrister Salman Safdar told the court that his client was booked in over 100 cases and he is ready to join the investigation. Safdar requested the court to allow him to present arguments for all the cases on the same day.
The judge remarked that Khan has so far joined the investigation in one case. The prosecutor while opposing the bail application said that Khan has to join the investigation and he is saying his leg is injured and he cannot join the probe. Imran had not appeared before the investigating officer despite the direction of Islamabad High Court (IHC).
The accused had also failed to appear before the joint investigation team (JIT) that had been formed for the investigation of different cases, he said.
He also informed the court regarding the dates on which Khan had been summoned but he did not appear. He requested the court to order Khan to join in the investigation process regarding the cases.
Khan’s counsel told the court that he had prepared the statements, but the police did not accept them.
The judge then questioned why the prosecutor had not recorded Imran’s statements during his period of police custody at the Police Lines office. In response, the prosecutor explained that Imran was under the custody of the NAB during that time. “Custody is custody. What does this even mean,” the judge asked. He further asked the prosecutor why he had not approached the court for permission to record the Khan’s statement while he was in custody.
The court, after hearing arguments of both parties, extended the interim bail of Khan in eight cases until June 8 and also directed the JIT to inform the court how they want Khan to join the investigation.
Khan came to rostrum and told the court that he is ready to join the investigation but wants a JIT in line with the Lahore High Court (LHC)’s verdict. “I put my life at risk every time when leaving my house,” he said, adding that the interior minister also confirmed a life threat to him.
A heavy contingent of police was deployed in and outside the Federal Judicial Complex (FJC) in order to avert any untoward incident.
Khan, during an informal conversation with reporters, claimed his party leaders were not quitting the party themselves, but were being ‘forced’ to leave the party. “The PTI leaders were forced to quit the party,” he asserted.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2023