ISLAMABAD, MAY 12: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Friday approved two-week bail of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan shortly after hearing resumed in Al-Qadir Trust case.
During the course of proceedings, Khan had warned of unrest across the country in case of his arrest.
In the first session of the hearing, a two-member special division bench of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) left the courtroom, adjourning the hearing on Khan’s bail plea immediately after slogans were chanted in favour of the former premier.
The IHC took up former prime minister’s bail plea a day after Supreme Court termed former prime minister’s arrest in the Al-Qadir Trust case “unlawful”.
In the court room, Khan — in response to a question from Geo News on whether he was allowed to use phone during his arrest — said: “NAB officials allowed me to talk to my wife via landline”.
The reporter then cross-questioned that why did Khan contact Musarrat Cheema when he was given the phone to talk to his wife.
At this Khan clarified that he could not contact his wife.
In response to a question that had he expected to be arrested, Khan replied: “I was 100% certain that I would be arrested.”
Following this, the courtroom erupted into slogans in favour of the PTI chief. The courtroom staff tried to stop the chanting; however, they failed to do so. At this, Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb said that this was “unacceptable”.
Subsequently, the hearing was briefly adjourned for a break for Friday prayers.
Khan arrived in a high-security convoy at Islamabad High Court, where hundreds of police and paramilitary troops have been deployed.
He was taken for his biometrics immediately after reaching court and will now appear before a two-member bench seeking bail in Al-Qadir Trust case.
IHC Chief Justice Aamer Farooq has formed a “special division bench” which comprises Justice Aurangzeb and Justice Imtiaz to hear Khan’s bail plea.
“We are hopeful that bail will be granted by the High Court,” Faisal Hussain Chaudhry, a lawyer for Khan told reporters.
Today’s hearing
At the onset of the hearing, Khan’s lawyer Khawaja Haris presented the PTI chief’s pre-arrest and protective bail applications.
“We have asked for a copy of the inquiry report in another application”, he said, adding, that NAB should be ordered to provide a copy of the inquiry report.
Lawyer Haris said that they had found out about the anti-graft watchdog’s inquiry report from the newspaper, adding that the arrest warrants can be issued only if an inquiry turns into an investigation.
“The reason mentioned in the arrest warrants stated that Khan did not appear before NAB despite repeated notices; however, as soon as the investigation started, an attempt was made to arrest him,” he said.
However, the lawyer informed that court that the inquiry had been converted into an investigation in April and that replies to two call-up notices had been submitted.
