Lahore ATC extends ousted PM Imran Khan’s interim bail in three cases to April 13

Lahore, April 4 (PTI) An anti-terrorism court in Pakistan’s Punjab province on Tuesday extended the interim bail to Imran Khan until April 13 in three cases filed relating to the clashes that took place between his supporters and the police outside the residence of the former prime minister in Lahore last month.

ATC Judge Abher Gul Khan, issuing the orders, extended the bail of 70-year-old Khan in multiple cases after the cricketer-turned-politician appeared before the court in a personal capacity, the Dawn newspaper reported.

A video posted by his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party showed the PTI chief arriving at the court with black headgear as his security detail held up protective shields.

In the last hearing, presiding judge Ijaz Ahmad Buttar directed the PTI chief to ensure his appearance at each subsequent hearing and also join the police investigation into the cases.

The police registered the cases against Khan and other PTI leaders for allegedly attacking the police teams and burning official property and vehicles outside his Zaman Park residence here.

Besides Section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997, offences under various sections of the Pakistan Penal Code have been included in the FIRs.

At the beginning of Tuesday’s hearing, the judge highlighted that Khan had not yet submitted his surety bonds.

Khan’s counsel Barrister Salman Safdar responded that the former prime minister was facing threats to his life.

The judge then inquired whether or not Khan would appear in the court, stressing that relief could be granted to anyone who appeared in the court.

The court then directed Khan’s counsel to produce his client by 11 am.

During the hearing, the leader of the joint investigation team (JIT) investigating the alleged assassination threats against the PTI chief arrived in court and said the party leader had not become a part of the investigation.

The caretaker government of Punjab had on March 22 decided to form a committee led by SSP Imran Kishwar to conduct an inquiry into claims of the ex-prime minister that a conspiracy has been hatched to assassinate him.

The announcement regarding the inquiry commission was made by interim Chief Minister Mohsin Naqvi to conduct and finalise the probe into FIRs registered in Lahore.

The court then directed Khan’s counsel to submit a written statement and summoned the head of the JIT to appear in the next hearing.

The judge also directed the JIT to complete the probe at the earliest.
The PTI chief was injured on November 3 last year when shots were fired by a gunman at Khan’s container-mounted truck in an assassination attempt during an election rally speech in Wazirabad, Punjab.

However, Khan’s counsel told the court that his client had become a part of the ongoing investigation.

Khan had also approached the Lahore High Court on March 25 for the provision of security that he, as an ex-premier, was entitled to.

In a petition filed through Advocate Azhar Siddique, the PTI chief had said sufficient security had not been deployed at his Zaman Park residence.

He had claimed that due to security lapses because of the inefficiency of police authorities, he had to make private security arrangements to safeguard his life, even though it was the constitutional obligation of the government.

The plea had argued that the respondents, despite a court order, had deprived the petitioner and his party of security due to political grudges. Therefore, the lives of the petitioner and his party members are in danger.