IHC stops authorities from arresting Imran Khan till May 31

Imran Khan, the head of the PTI, cannot be arrested in cases brought against him after May 9, according to an extension granted by the Islamabad High Court (IHC). Till May 31st, the extension is in effect.

A day after the Supreme Court deemed Imran’s arrest in the Al-Qadir Trust case “invalid and unlawful,” an IHC bench last week granted him two weeks of bail. Additionally, it barred authorities from detaining the PTI leader after May 9—the day of his arrest—in any case filed in Islamabad until May 17. Barrister Gohar, Imran’s legal counsel, represented him in court today. Also present were state counsel, additional Attorney General Munawar Dugal, and Advocate General Islamabad Jahangir Jadoon.

The case was heard by Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb.

The government’s counsel requested more time to provide information about the cases filed against the PTI chief.

The court granted the request and adjourned the hearing until May 31.

Earlier today, several reporters chose to boycott the hearings conducted by Justice Aurangzeb. This decision came in response to his alleged directive limiting the journalists in his court to five.

Upon inquiry, the court’s deputy registrar revealed that the judge had issued an order allowing only a maximum of five journalists to be present in the courtroom. As a result, the journalists boycotted the hearings conducted by Justice Aurangzeb.

Typically, the IHC permits around 30 journalists to attend proceedings related to the cases of the PTI chief, whereas in other cases, there is no specified limit on the number of attendees.