PTI calls on CJP Bandial to take suo motu action against govt’s ‘illegal’ move

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Secretary General Asad Umar Saturday penned a letter to Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Ata Bandial and asked him to take suo motu notice against the Pakistan Democratic Movement-led government’s “illegal” actions against his party chief, Imran Khan.

Umar, in the letter, mentioned that the Islamabad High Court (IHC) had barred law enforcers from arresting Khan in the Toshakhana case and the Lahore High Court prohibited his arrest in nine cases.

He stated that as Khan was en route to Islamabad today to appear before a trial court, the Punjab Police stormed his Zaman Park residence in Lahore, while the “doors and walls have been raised to the ground”.

Letter written by Asad Umar to CJP Umar Ata Bandial, on March 18, 2023. — Photo by author
Letter written by Asad Umar to CJP Umar Ata Bandial, on March 18, 2023. — Photo by author
The police have arrested around 40 PTI workers — four days after they battled at the same place when the police had arrived to arrest the former prime minister in the Toshakhana case.

In the prevailing circumstances, Umar told the CJP that he has “firm reasons” to believe that the state in order to take revenge on the PTI chief is “hell-bent to compromise the liberty of Imran Khan in the most unlawful manner”.

“And it has been reiterated by Imran Khan time and again his life is at stake and he may be taken out in a bid to take his life,” the former planning minister wrote.

The legal proceedings against Khan began soon after he was ousted from Prime Minister’s Office in a parliamentary vote early last year. Since then, he has been demanding a snap election and holding nationwide protests, and was shot and wounded in one of those rallies in Wazirabad on November 3.

Incumbent Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has rejected Khan’s demands, saying the election would be held as scheduled later this year.

The PTI chief has also filed a similar plea in the IHC asking the high court to restrict all authorities — including the National Accountability Bureau — to not arrest him in any case.

Currently, Khan is headed towards the Islamabad Judicial Complex where he will appear before Additional Sessions Judge Zafar Iqbal in the Toshakhana case.