ISLAMABAD: Sessions courts in Islamabad granted PTI chief Imran Khan bail in nine cases on Monday after the high court directed that the lower court be shifted to the Federal Judicial Complex (FJC) to hear the former premier’s pleas for relief.
The nine cases were registered at Islamabad’s Secretariat, Ramna, Shehzad Town, Khanna, Tarnol, Kohsar and Karachi Company police stations. The said cases include six cases relating to the May 9 vandalism, one regarding fraud charges in Toshakhana, one on inciting mutiny in institutions and a murder attempt charge case.
Imran appeared before the courts at the FJC yesterday where additional district and sessions judge Mahmood Haroon took up his plea for bail in the case registered at Khanna police station.
The judge granted him bail in the case till July 4 and directed him to furnish a surety bond of Rs30,000.
At a separate hearing at the FJC, additional district and sessions judge Tahir Abbas Supra approved the PTI chief’s bail in four cases, two of them registered at Tarnol police station and one each Secretariat and Karachi Company police stations.
The judge granted him bail in these cases till June 19, directing him to submit surety bonds worth Rs10,000 for each case.
Additional district and sessions judge Fareed Farrukh granted Imran bail in two cases registered at Shehzad Town Police Station till July 4 against a surety bond of Rs5,000 each. Imran was also granted bail in the case registered at Kohsar police station till July 4.
Earlier, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) directed that the sessions courts that were to hear the PTI chief’s bail pleas in the nine cases be moved to the FJC.
Last week, Imran had moved the IHC seeking the shifting of at least four courts from Sector F-8 Markaz to the FJC in Sector G-11.
The petition stated that due to the fragile law and order situation in the premises of the sessions court in Sector F-8 Markaz, it was not “convenient” for Imran to appear in the relevant judicial magistrates’ trial courts. IHC Chief Justice Aamer Farooq heard the PTI chief’s plea for the lower courts’ relocation.
During yesterday’s hearing, hearing, Imran appeared before the IHC alongside his lawyer, Barrister Ali Zafar.
“Have you submitted a request for shifting the courts to the judicial complex,” the IHC CJ asked Zafar. The lawyer responded that they had not done this as yet.
Justice Farooq observed that the court could not issue directives in this regard and they had to come from the Islamabad chief commissioner.
“Send a request to the chief commissioner. We will issue directives to decide the plea forthwith,” he said, adding that the court was disposing of Imran’s plea.
The judge told the chief commissioner to decide on Imran’s request by today and advised Imran’s lawyer to approach the court in case the decision made was against them.
Subsequently, Imran submitted a request to the Islamabad chief commissioner. It said that Imran had been granted pre-arrest bail by the IHC in nine cases till June 12, adding that the cases were registered at the capital’s Secretariat, Ramna, Shehzad Town, Khanna, Tarnol, Kohsar and Karachi Company police stations.
It further said that Imran had filed a writ petition to change the venue of the hearings, adding that the court had directed to refer to the chief commissioner. The letter urged the chief commissioner to change the venue of the hearings in the nine cases to the FJC.
Following the submission of the request, Imran’s legal team again approached the IHC with the request to move sessions courts to the FJC. During the hearing, Justice Farooq said, “Only a bench that has issued an order on such a case, will decide this petition.”
Subsequently, he sent the matter to Justice Aurangzeb. The IHC also clarified the status of Imran’s bail in the nine cases in which he has been asked to appear at a sessions court but has sought a shifting of courts. It said, “The bail was accepted for five days on June 8. Those five days will complete tomorrow, June 13. Imran Khan’s bail in the nine cases is till June 13.”
Later, Justice Aurangzeb took up Imran’s plea. Upon the court’s inquiry, Barrister Zafar reiterated the PTI chief’s request to move sessions courts to the FJC.
At that, the court inquired whether all nine cases against Imran were to be heard by the same court. To that, Barrister Zafar replied that collectively, nine cases were being heard by three judges.
The court then summoned the advocate general, following which Barrister Zafar informed the court that the Islamabad chief commissioner had shifted the courts hearing seven cases to the FJC.
“Two cases are left now,” he said. Justice Aurangzeb then directed that the hearing of all the cases be held at the FJC and adjourned the hearing.
Separately, the IHC also granted the PTI chairman protective bail in a corruption case registered against him in Dera Ghazi Khan. Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kiyani was supposed to take up Imran’s plea but the judge recused himself from hearing the case and it to the IHC chief justice.
When IHC CJ Farooq took up the case, Imran’s lawyer contended that the case had been registered in DG Khan and asked the court to grant his client protective bail for three weeks. “Fourteen days is enough time. Approach the relevant court during this time,” the IHC CJ said. –Agencies
