ISLAMABAD: Former premier and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan reached Islamabad’s judicial complex on Tuesday to appear before courts in multiple cases.
A banking court has resumed hearing the prohibited funding case against him, while an additional and sessions court is to hear the Toshakhana reference, wherein he is expected to be indicted today, and the same court will also hear an attempted murder case against the PTI chief.
Moreover, an anti-terrorism court is scheduled to hear a terrorism case.
Prohibited funding case
Ahead of Imran Khan’s appearance in the prohibited funding case, a banking court in Islamabad rescheduled all other cases fixed for hearing on Tuesday.
The PTI chairman seeks bail in the case filed against him and other party leaders by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Commercial banking Circle in Islamabad under the Foreign Exchange Act after they were accused of being the beneficiaries of suspicious bank accounts.
The FIA has claimed that Abraaj Group for one had transferred $2.1 million to the bank accounts of the PTI.
The agency kicked off its probe against the PTI in August this year after the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) had declared in its verdict that the party had indeed received illegal funding.
The case had been filed by PTI’s founding but disgruntled member Akbar S Babar and had been pending since November 14, 2014.
The written order of the ECP stated that the political party had received illegal funds from foreign countries including the US, UAE, UK and Australia.
During the previous proceedings, the banking court judge Rakhshanda Shaheen had dismissed Imran’s request for leave and ordered him to appear before the court.
However, the PTI chief’s legal team had succeeded in securing relief from the Islamabad High Cout until February 22 whereby the banking court had been prevented from cancelling Imran’s bail temporarily.
Toshakhana case
Meanwhile, during proceedings at an additional and sessions court over the Toshakhana (gift repository) reference earlier today, Imran’s lawyers requested Additional Sessions Judge Zaffar Iqbal to postpone the hearing by another five days.
However, the ECP lawyer contested the request saying “it is of no concern to the court where Imran is coming from” as he questioned that if the PTI chief could appear in other courts, why not this one?
Imran’s lawyer argued that “I am unable to present Imran Khan before the court” but “if he manages to get out of the judicial complex in time, then we will appear before the court”.
Judge Iqbal, irked by the lawyer’s statement expressed his dismay that Imran could appear before other courts in the judicial complex but not in this one.
“Charges are going to be framed here so he should appear here and then once they have been framed he may leave,” said the judge.
The court then declared Imran’s appearance in court necessary and rejected his lawyer’s request for postponement.
Terror charges
Earlier today, Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani and Justice Tariq Mehmood Jahangiri of the Islamabad High Cout (IHC) heard Imran’s and Ali Nawaz Awan’s requests for the disposal of terror charges against them.
The court was informed that the petitioners’ lawyer Faisal Chaudhry is presently unavailable as he is at the Supreme Court. Chaudhry’s associate, therefore, requested the court to postpone the hearing.
Granting the request, the court has adjourned the hearing for the time being.
Imran in the capital
With the former prime minister all set to appear before the court today, a heavy contingency of FIA was seen in the judicial complex.
An armoured vehicle and a prison van were also seen parked outside the judicial complex.
Large crowds were seen around G-13 bridge as per PTI’s Twitter account.
Imran’s vehicle is presently stuck in a traffic jam caused by the crowds that have gathered to welcome him to the capital.
Earlier today, PTI leader Fawad Chaudhry had expressed his reservations about the “security threat” under these circumstances as well.
“The life of Imran Khan and the thousands that will surround him will be put at risk in all the courts that he will be dragged through today over false cases,” he said, “attendance was possible through video link. But the aim is to play with Imran Khan’s life”.
