Imran requests case consolidation and court appearances through video link.
There are serious threats’ to the ex-prime minister’s life, he claims, every time he has to appear in court.
LAHORE — Former Pakistani prime minister Imran Khan has filed two civil miscellaneous applications asking for permission to use audio/video-link during his court hearings and for directives to club all of his cases at one appropriate location.
Petitioner Imran Khan, represented by Barrister Salman Safdar, submitted the motions with the Lahore High Court on Saturday.
Counsel for Imran asked the court to order relevant authorities to ensure that all cases against him would be heard in one location, with as little interference as possible in other judicial matters and with maximum protection for all participants in the hearings.
An attempt to group all existing cases
In one of his applications, Imran claimed that his political opponents and certain authorities had conspired to remove him from the political process and prevent the people of Pakistan from expressing their democratic support for him and his fellow leaders by voting.
He claimed that his life was in grave danger because of the absence of security measures taken to protect him from the consequences of the numerous false and spurious cases filed against him. His life may be in danger from within the security establishment, he claimed, despite his status as a former prime minister of Pakistan and the benefits he is entitled to get as a result of this position.
According to the petition, the large crowds that gather to see Imran Khan in court are a security risk because it gives criminals an opportunity to act under the cover of the crowd. This disrupts the normal operations of the courts and poses a threat to public safety.
Furthermore, courts and judicial complexes are open to the public, with multiple points of entry and exit, no access control system, multiple courts in progress, and thousands of litigants and associated individuals visiting the premises, complete with vehicular and parking access, lawyer offices, hutments, and no restriction on the movement of men or materials.
The article claimed that the public knows when Imran Khan will be making appearances, which leaves the door open for troublemakers to take advantage of the situation and capitalise on the challenges of implementing rigorous access control. Because panic and stampedes are so common in such situations, it’s hard to get people out of there safely if anything goes wrong.
Imran Khan requested that the court consolidate all of the proceedings against him in a single court or location to reduce the likelihood of disruption to ongoing judicial proceedings and to provide adequate protection for all parties involved in the hearings.
Seeking Audio/Video Connection Programme
Imran argued in his application for leave to appear through audio/video link that the utilisation of technological advances like a video link would be efficient and practicable for the administration of criminal justice.
Video-links would alleviate major traffic congestion on the roads and overcrowding at the time of entering the courts, as well as the deployment of thousands of security officers on days of court hearings.
The Covid-19 pandemic, the petitioner added, has prompted the widespread use of video-links in a variety of settings, including the legal system. In light of recent government recommendations urging residents to take preventative measures against the spread of Covid-19, the use of video-links to avoid crowded hearings is a sensible option.
The petitioner contended that the applicant’s life is in risk and that terrorist activities in the area poses a threat to others. In view of these exceptional circumstances, the petitioner asked the court to protect the applicant’s right to a fair trial by allowing him to participate in court sessions and investigative procedures via video-links. This would make it possible for the judicial and law enforcement systems to carry out their responsibilities in a peaceful and orderly manner.
The petitioner has asked the court to instruct relevant parties to ensure that he or she can participate and appear in all proceedings within the court’s jurisdiction through audio/video connection.
