ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Thursday ordered the government not to “harass” Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan during Eidul Fitr holidays.
IHC Chief Justice Aamer Farooq issued the orders on a petition filed by the former prime minister to stop his arrest during Eid holidays and seeking details of cases against him.
During hearing of the case, Advocate Faisal Chaudhry appeared in court on behalf of the deposed premier and said Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) chief Sirajul Haq came to Zaman Park and made a “good effort” to convince Imran for talks with the ruling coalition.
“However, the next morning, the party’s president of Sindh [Ali Zaidi] was abducted,” Chaudhry added. To this, the IHC chief justice remarked that “a bad taste was evidently born out of this incident”.
The PTI chief’s lawyer then told the court that the party leadership is “afraid that they [the government] will conduct another operation in Zaman Park during the five holidays of Eid”. “I can request the details of the cases but how can I give a blank order?” questioned Justice Farooq.
Subsequently, the IHC CJ ordered the government not to harass the ex-PM during the Eid holidays and issued notices to the federation, the police and the Federal Investigating Agency (FIA), seeking details of cases against Imran.
The PTI chief’s request to delay the hearing of the case till after Eid was also accepted and the court adjourned the case till April 27.
Earlier this week, Imran had apprised the Lahore High Court (LHC) that he had “concrete information” of another “attack” at his Zaman Park residence during the Eid holidays, requesting that the police officials be prevented from arresting him in order to avoid any bloodshed “planned” by them.
Imran had apprised the court that the incumbent government did not want to incarcerate him, rather they aimed to “eliminate” him as they had attempted in Wazirabad.
Following the PTI chief’s plea, the LHC had restrained the police from “harassing” the former prime minister during the Eidul Fitr holidays (April 21 to 25).
