Lahore: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan on Friday asked whether there is a guarantee that the elections will be held in October. “So will things suddenly get better?” he asked. “What will happen if the situation worsens on October 8? Will he hold the election or will it continue for eleven years like General Ziaul Haq?”
When he arrived outside the courtroom, Imran was asked by a reporter if he thought the Election Commission of Pakistan would postpone the October elections in Punjab by the Supreme Court. If the decision of ECP is not annulled, how will the elections be held in October? he replied. “That way, they can say they don’t have money.”
“The law of the jungle prevails here,” he added.
Earlier, Imran had obtained a three-day extension of protective bail till March 27 in five cases registered against him in the federal capital after appearing in person at the Lahore High Court (LHC). Khan arrived at the Lahore High Court amid tight security as a two-judge special bench comprising Justice Tariq Saleem Sheikh and Justice Anwar Hussain heard the plea for extension of protective bail.
Last week, Khan had secured anticipatory bail in eight terror cases and one civil case – a total of nine – when he appeared in court in person. For five Islamabad cases, the court granted Khan bail till March 24 and for three Lahore cases for 10 days (March 27).
The verdict was delivered on Friday minutes after the PTI submitted an affidavit that the bail application was filed in Islamabad. After the court order, the PTI chief’s lawyer submitted an affidavit stating that his client’s bail application has been filed in Islamabad courts. After the submission, the court asked the prosecutor if he wanted to say anything. The prosecutor said he had nothing to add.
Justice Shaikh said that the court was extending the relief granted to the petitioner as his cases were pending in Islamabad courts. “If you [Khan] do not get bail there, you will face the consequences of submitting a false affidavit.” He also warned the PTI chief’s lawyer that submitting a fake affidavit is tantamount to contempt of court.
Earlier on Friday, the Lahore High Court Registrar’s Office had attached objections to the application as the PTI chief had already secured bail in the cases. As the hearing began, Khan’s counsel told the judges that the former prime minister was seeking protective bail to travel to the federal capital where several political cases were registered against him. On this, Justice Shaikh said that no such precedent can be cited while extending protective bail. Khan’s lawyer argued that the legal team is also struggling to understand how to get bail as there are many cases against the ousted prime minister.
Justice Sheikh said that it would have been better if the petition was filed in the Islamabad High Court (IHC). Arguing for himself, Khan said that last time when he went to Islamabad, all the roads were blocked, even today he came secretly. “The police in Islamabad used tear gas and lathi charge on people which forced us to return,” claimed the cricketer-turned-politician, who “ran from there” for his life. Khan’s lawyer told the court that he was only asking for a working day so that he could reach Islamabad. However, the government counsel objected to this.
After hearing the arguments, the two-judge bench directed the office to dispose of Khan’s application and adjourned the hearing till then. After the hearing resumed following the court’s direction to settle the plea, Khan’s counsel admitted that he knew the plea was “extraordinary” as he was seeking an extension of protective bail. “We have a strong basis,” the lawyers said, on which Justice Shaikh directed them to narrate the events that had transpired since the last hearing on March 17 when Imran was granted anticipatory bail.
The lawyer began narrating the events, telling the court that he had gone to Islamabad to file a bail application on March 18, but was not allowed to enter the federal capital. A two-judge bench asked the government counsel whether bail applications had been filed or not. “We are not aware of this,” the government’s lawyer told the court. Were these applications scheduled for hearing? Judges cross-examined. Khan’s lawyer told the court that the petitions are currently with the staff of the District and Sessions Court of Islamabad.
The Lahore High Court directed the authorities to call the Prosecutor General within half an hour. On which the court was informed that they are not there, if the court is convinced that the petitions are filed in Islamabad court then they will not oppose it. The court further said that the bail application cannot be fixed for hearing until the petitioner himself is present in the court. The lawyer representing the PTI chief resumed his statement regarding the timeline of events, saying, “That is the reason why the case was not heard because Khan could not appear in court.”
“March 19 was a Sunday and then on March 21, we got more bails as a total of 140 cases have been registered against Khan,” he said, adding that no case had been fixed on March 22. While March 23 was a public holiday.
The lawyers said that all the cases are politically motivated and none of the relief granted so far has been misused. “It is impossible to defend all these cases at various points as Khan is a 71-year-old man and is still recovering from the injuries he sustained during the murder attack in November last year,” argued the lawyers. He said that it is difficult for Khan to visit Islamabad again and again.
The court asked the PTI chief to file an affidavit that the bail application has been filed in Islamabad. Justice Shaikh said that we do not want to establish any tradition as the judgment in this case will be delivered in the future. Khan’s lawyers assured the court that he would “endeavour” to submit the affidavit by 4:45 pm, after which the judges adjourned the hearing for a short time. After the hearing resumed, the court immediately announced the extension of the period.
Meanwhile, a single bench comprising Justice Tariq Saleem Shaikh directed the Chief Secretary Punjab and the IGP on March 28 in a contempt petition filed by Imran against the violation of Terms of Reference (TORs) during the Zaman Park operation. Notices have also been issued for The local police, provincial administration and PTI leadership agreed. The PTI chief’s lawyer said his client was unable to sleep as he feared the police might raid his residence again.
After brief arguments from his counsel, Khan then took to the rostrum. The PTI chief told the LHC that despite his order, the police raided his house for two hours and stole his belongings.
He said the police followed the “law of the jungle” as court orders were violated. The former prime minister said that the police are also disappointed with what is happening.
