In nine instances, the IHC rules in Imran’s favor.
Imran asserts that Justice Isa’s accusation “came from on high.”
ISLAMABAD: Imran Khan, leader of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), had his bail extended in nine instances on Thursday by the Islamabad High Court (IHC).
The bail of the deposed premier was extended in two cases until May 9 and in seven other cases for another 10 days.
The bail extension hearing for the PTI leader was already put on hold. Chief Justice Aamer Farooq and Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb left the courtroom for a few minutes after an argument broke out between the advocate general for the city of Islamabad and PTI leader Fawad Chaudhry, purportedly because Chaudhry kept interjecting himself into the case.
The evidence against Justice Isa “came down from on high.”
Imran addressed the media once again after the hearing, this time responding to a question on how he planned to deal with corrupt officials by promising to follow the rule of law.
The number of lawsuits filed against me is rising exponentially. He predicted that the number of instances will soon reach 200, noting that his personal best in cricket was 170 runs.
Imran said that discussions with the Afghan government were underway about how to return Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) members to Pakistan in response to another query about his administration’s contacts with the Taliban. He further said that the previous head of the army and the head of Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) were there.
He went on to say that his time in office had come to an end, but that he had warned repeatedly of the Taliban’s impending arrival and that, previous to the PTI’s ouster, talks had taken place about rehabilitating TTP members in Pakistan.
Imran stated the case against Justice Qazi Faez Isa “came from above” when asked about the reference.
Nawaz Sharif was disqualified over his property, he stated, and he added that he himself had been asked questions about Sharif’s London residence.
Imran said, “we later understood that the reality of the matter was different,” referring to how he and Justice Isa were assured that the law applied equally to everyone.
“I refuse to submit to servitude.”
In interviews with the media before the hearing, Imran expressed a desire for “friendship” with everyone but a distaste for being a “slave” to anybody. He continued by saying that while his party desired cordial ties with the United States, it did not seek servitude to Washington.
In response to a journalist’s inquiry on his interactions with US officials, Imran stated that “twenty-seven years had passed” and that he “wanted good relations with every country.”
Before leaving for the high court, the PTI head said that he had named a specific individual who he said constituted a threat to his life, but that he would not be able to identify publicly because “his real name would not be printed in the newspapers.”
Specifically, he explained, “That’s why I call him dirty Harry,” referring to a high-ranking intelligence official.
Imran asked whether Kashmir wasn’t a problem for the current administration in a comment on Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto’s trip to India.
He insisted that relations between the PTI administration and India had broken down after the Indian government reversed the special status accorded to Jammu and Kashmir under Article 370 of the Indian Constitution on August 5, 2019.
He explained that his acceptance of the August 9 events was symbolised by Bilawal’s presence.
Request to Enter Vehicle
Imran used a wheelchair to get to the courthouse for his appearance. Earlier, he had been told that his car could not enter the IHC grounds. Imran’s lawyer, barrister Salman Safdar, formally requested the use of the IHC’s wheelchair ramp by filing a motion with the high court’s registrar.
The request explained that Imran needed 10 days of bed rest since his right leg was injured and he could not bear weight on it. Asad Umar and Umar Ayub, two top members of the PTI, were waiting beside the party chief’s car.
Imran was reportedly “right outside the high court” with a “heavy deployment of police,” according to a tweet sent by the party’s official Twitter handle.
They want Imran Khan to risk more injury to his damaged leg by walking in an open location.
Heavily deployed police are blocking Chairman Imran Khan’s automobile from entering the high court. They want Imran Khan to risk more injury to his damaged leg by walking in an open location.
The IHC noted that it could not make an exception for Imran since he was a “privileged” person and offered the former PM one more chance to appear in court in person yesterday if he wanted to secure pre-arrest bail.
Get out on bail: PTI members and their leader
While hearing requests for the PTI leader’s pre-arrest bails, IHC Chief Justice Aamer Farooq said, “The applications for pre-arrest bails will be considered dismissed if Imran Khan does not appear in court tomorrow.”
What statute exempts an accused from having to personally appear in court while awaiting arrest and bail? The accused is not helping authorities with their investigation? Justice Farooq, presiding over a two-judge panel that included Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb, made the observation.
Earlier, Safdar informed the bench that the ex-prime minister had requested a medical exemption from court.
He said that Imran’s legs swelled up when he appeared in the Lahore High Court (LHC) the other day because of the gunshot wounds he got in a failed assassination attempt in November of last year. Yesterday, he needed to be rushed to the emergency room. “Imran is 71 years old, and it takes time for wounds to heal at that age,” Safdar explained.
