ISLAMABAD: A local court on Thursday issued notices on Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan’s plea seeking the issuance of his production order in three cases registered against him and others in connection with May 25, 2022 violence.
Judicial Magistrate Ahmed Shahzad Gondal, while hearing the case, sought a reply from the prosecution over the PTI chief’s application requesting to issue his production order in three cases one registered at Secretariat and two at Kohsar police station and adjourned the hearing of the case till December 9.
PTI chief’s counsel Naeem Haider Panjutha appeared before the court. He told the court that he is filing an application for the issuance of production of the PTI chairman. The judge said to file the application and then “we will look into it”.
Panjutha said that the government will again make an excuse for security issues. During the hearing, former PTI leader Asad Umar filed an application seeking an exemption from personal appearance before the court for one day.
The court approved Umar’s application. The court issued notices for reply on the PTI chief’s petition and adjourned the case till December 9.
Police had registered two first information report (FIR) on May 26, 2022, at Kohsar police station over the complaint of Sub-Inspector (SI) Asif Raza under sections 109 (abetment), 148 (rioting armed with deadly weapon), 149 (unlawful assembly), 186 (obstructing public service), 188 (disobedience), 353 (assault on public servant), 427 (causing damage), and 435 (mischief by fire or explosive substance with intent to cause damage) of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC). Imran Khan, Asad Umar, Imran Ismail, Raja Khurram Nawaz, Ali Amin Gandapur, Ali Nawaz Awan, and some others were nominated in the FIR.
Another FIR was registered at the Secretariat police station on the complaint of Sub-Inspector (SI) Ghulam Sarwar under the same sections as the prior FIR. Sarwar claimed that he and other police officers were on duty at Express Chowk when at 12:30 am, 100-150 PTI protesters — equipped with rods and inflammatory materials — chanted slogans, incited people and set fire to trees and Metro Bus station near Geo Chowk.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2023