LAHORE: An anti-terrorism court in Lahore on Friday extended Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief and former prime minister Imran Khan’s bail in three cases linked to May 9 violence, including the vandalism at Askari Tower and Jinnah House.
At least 8 people were killed and 290 were wounded on 9 May after the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) arrested Imran Khan in the Al-Qadir Trust case. The protesters had also attacked the residence of the Corps Commander Lahore (Jinnah House) residence and tore down a General Headquarters (HFQ) gate in Rawalpindi.
Subsequently, more than 1,900 enraged protesters were apprehended in running battles with law enforcers nationwide. Cases were also lodged against Imran Khan and his party workers.
On 19 May, Justice Ijaz Ahmad Buttar granted bail to Imran Khan in the three cases till 2 June, subject to furnishing surety bonds of 100,000 rupees each.
At the beginning of today’s hearing (Friday), the judge directed Imran Khan to come to the rostrum. “I was told the reasons why you are not joining the probe. but now you have to become a part of the investigation,” he stressed.
For his part, Imran Khan told the judge that there were threats to his life.
Imran Khan ready to join probe
At that, the PTI chairman’s lawyer Salman Safdar said that Imran Khan was ready to join the investigation but requested that all the cases be fixed for hearing on the same day. “I will complete the arguments in all three cases,” the lawyer assured the court.
He further requested to fix all the cases on 20 June, promising that Imran Khan would join the investigation the day court issued the order.
Subsequently, Justice Buttar allowed Imran Kahn to leave and extended his bail.
Imran Khan in Lahore High Court
After the ATC, the PTI chairman also appeared before the Lahore High Court for the hearing on his bail petition in a case of concealing evidence and facts about the death of a PTI supporter, Zille Shah, in a fatal road accident.
Imran Khan arrived at the court amid tight security. Footage posted on PTI’s Twitter account showed his car surrounded by a huge contingent of security personnel outside the court.
Justice Anwarul Haq Pannun heard the case and extended his bail till 6 June as the ex-prime minister joined the investigation and recorded his statement with the police.
Earlier, the court had granted him bail until June 2.
During the brief hearing, the judge asked the investigating officer if Imran Khan had been made a part of the probe into the murder, to which the latter responded that the PTI chairman had not yet joined the investigations.
The court then ordered the investigation officer to record Imran Khan’s statement after the hearing. “Ask him whatever questions you want to,” Justice Pannun said.
Here, the government’s lawyer said that the statement could not be recorded in the presence of the petitioner’s counsels.
“Will you answer the questions they ask you?” the judge asked Imran Khan. The PTI chairman responded, “Yes, I am absolutely ready.”
Subsequently, the court extended Imran Khan’ss bail till 6 June.
Following the proceedings, the ex-prime minister joined the investigations and recorded his statement with the police.
