PTI Chairman Imran Khan was asked on Wednesday to appear before courts. He refused to do so on the account of injuries from the November 3 gun attack on him. He now faces the risk of being arrested, but has decided against appearing before the Lahore High Court, which was ready to hear him Wednesday night.
The Lahore High Court (LHC) postponed the hearing until Thursday on Khan’s bail petition after it waited for him till 8pm Wednesday. The LHC will resumed the hearing today (Thursday).
There were multiple court hearings involving Khan on Wednesday. In one of them, the Islamabad High Court asked an Islamabad banking court not to act against Imran Khan till February 22, hours after the court issued him an ultimatum to present himself for a hearing or risk arrest.q
The banking court had asked Imran Khan to appear in person by 3:30pm to confirm his bail. Imran Khan’s request to be exempted from in-person hearing on medical grounds was rejected raising the possibility of Khan’s arrest.
At the same time, his bail in an anti-terrorism court was cancelled. This was shortly after the midday.
Hundreds of PTI supporters began to arrive at Imran Khan’s Zaman Park residence in Lahore as the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf announced that Imran Khan will address the media at 6pm.
Imran Khan faces a multitude of court cases.
And although the Islamabad High Court ruled in his favour his arrest still remains a possibility.
An anti-terrorism court in Islamabad cancelled Imran Khan’s bail in a case regarding a protest infront of the Election Commission of Pakistan.
The bail was cancelled after Imran Khan failed to show up in person despite repeated notices from the court.
The case was filed after PTI staged a protest infront of the ECP against the Toshakhana verdict that disqualified him. The imposition of section 144 had made the protest illegal.
A banking court in Islamabad dismissed Imran Khan’s request for exemption in appearance in bail despite his lawyers arguing for bail to be confirmed via video link.
Imran Khan asked to be exempted from appearing on medical grounds. He had applied for bail in the prohibited funding case, but could not present himself in court.
His lawyers had argued that Imran Khan would be able to stand without support and be able to travel to Islamabad from Lahore in three weeks’s time.
“The law will take its course if Imran Khan does not present himself,” the judge said.
Imran Khan had been told to ensure his appearance in-person in the banking court on Wednesday. However, his lawyer told the court that three more weeks were needed for him to get healthy enough to come to court himself.
The lawyer also added that Imran Khan was also exempted from a biometric test since he is above 70 years of age.
Lawyer for the co-accused Tariq Shafi told the court that the Shafi was not part of the PTI on which the prohibited funding case had been made, he is only a private citizen.
In the same case the judge approved bail petition of Tariq shafi and two others.
The judge proceeded to remind him that the merits of the foreign funding case were not under discussion and the arguments should stick to the topic of the bail.
After the banking court refused to allow more time to Imran Khan, the Islamabad High Court passed an order stopping the lower court from acting against the PTI chief until February 22.
Banking court Judge Rakhsinda confirmed that she had received the orders from the Islamabad High Court.
She did not issue a warrant for Imran Khan our his failure to appear before the court.
But since the ATC had cancelled the bail, PTI moved the Lahore High Court to see bail confirmation for Imran Khan.
Lahore High Court ask the PT leader to appear before it before the bail could be granted.
It allowed Imran Khan to make the court appearance at around 8:00pm several hours after the court hours.
However, the farmer prime minister decided against appearing before the LHC, Aaj News reported.
Legal traditions dictate that an accused cannot be granted bail without appearing before the court.
The LHC waited until 8pm and then postponed the hearing until Thursday.
