- Lahore ATC also extends protective bail in two cases till May 19
ISLAMABAD/LAHORE: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Tuesday extended Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan’s bail till June 8 in two cases pertaining to inciting violence and sedition and also granted him exemption from court appearance for the day.
On the other hand, an Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) in Lahore on Tuesday extended the interim bail of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan till May 19 in two cases.
The IHC heard bail applications filed regarding charges of inciting rebellion in institutions and attempted murder.
Counsel for PTI chief Imran, Advocate Barrister Gohar and Ali Bukhari appeared before IHC Chief Justice Aamer Farooq while Advocate General Islamabad Barrister Jahangir Jadoon and Islamabad police officials were also present in court. Imran’s lawyer maintained that they were also filing a plea for Imran’s exemption from court appearance for today. The IHC approved the PTI chief’s request for exemption and extended the bail till June 8 in both cases.
The former prime minister had moved the IHC seeking to quash the FIR registered against him at the Ramna Police Station in the federal capital on the allegations of inciting rebellion in state institutions. During earlier hearing, IHC Chief Justice Aamer Farooq heard the case and summoned the police and the plaintiff – a district magistrate – to appear before the court in personal capacity at the next hearing.
Imran Khan’s counsel Faisal Chaudhary Advocate requested the court to stop the implementation of the FIR till the next hearing. Last week, the IHC stopped the authorities from arresting Imran in any case, including “undisclosed ones”, filed against him anywhere in the country till May 15.
Hearing in ATC Lahore
The Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) Lahore on Tuesday extended the interim bail of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan till May 19 in two cases.
ATC Judge Ijaz Ahmad Buttar conducted the proceedings on the bail petitions of the PTI chairman. During the proceedings, Imran Khan did not appear before the court despite the expiry of his interim bail.
However, his counsel submitted an exemption application and pleaded with the court to exempt his client from personal appearance for one-day. The counsel requested the court to adjourn further proceedings till May 19 as he wanted to advance final arguments in the matter.
The court, after hearing arguments of the counsel, reserved its verdict on exemption application for a short while. Later, the court announced the reserved verdict and granted exemption from personal appearance for one-day to the PTI chairman.
Racecourse Police had registered the cases against the PTI chief and other party leaders and workers on charges of attacking the police teams and burning official property and vehicles outside his Zaman Park residence. The cases had been registered under sections of Pakistan Penal Code and Section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997.
Meanwhile, the court cancelled the interim bail of PTI leaders – Farrukh Habib, Fawad Ch, Hammad Azhar, and others due to non-appearance in the cases.
