The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan was granted protective bail by the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Friday in the Al-Qadir Trust case hours after he threatened to cause nationwide unrest if he were to be arrested once more.
Khan had warned of nationwide unrest in the event of his arrest during the course of the proceedings. Following the chanting of pro-Khan chants during the first session of the hearing, a two-member special division bench of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) adjourned the hearing on Khan’s bail request. A day after the Supreme Court deemed the former prime minister’s arrest in the Al-Qadir Trust case “illegal,” the IHC took up the former prime minister’s bail request.
When asked by media in the courtroom if he was permitted to use a phone while under arrest, Khan replied: “NAB officials allowed me to talk to my wife via landline.” The reporter then asked Khan why he called Musarrat Cheema rather than using the phone that had been given to him to speak to his wife. Khan then clarified that he was unable to reach his wife. When asked if he had anticipated being detained, Khan responded, “I was 100% certain that I would be detained.”
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.
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.
He then pointed out the legal flaws of the call-up notices and asked: “It is important to state in what capacity the concerned person has been called — as a witness or as an accused.”
In response to a question by Justice Aurangzeb, Haris said he had not visited the NAB office because the call-up notice was “illegal”.
He then concluded his arguments saying that he had raised objections in a detailed reply, subsequent to which no further notice was received.
‘Punjab Police standing outside to arrest me’
In an informal discussion with journalists during the hearing break, Khan said that he will not resist if his bail plea is rejected.
Contacting his legal team amid fears of arrest, Khan — referring to the clashes — warned that a similar reaction would be seen if he is arrested again.
“I don’t want such a situation to arise again as this is my country and my army,” he said, revealing that the Punjab Police had arrived to him.
The PTI chief did not respond to a question about his experience of being arrested; however, in response to a question regarding claims that he was given “extraordinary relief” compared to other political leaders, Khan said: “Relief in this! I was sitting in the high court, they had no justification to arrest me.”
Terming his arrest “abduction”, he said that the warrant was shown to him after he was taken to the jail. “This is the law of the jungle,” the PTI chief asserted.
“Where did the police and the law go? It looks like martial law has been declared here,” he said.
