Islamabad: Pakistan’s anti-corruption body on Wednesday sought 14-day remand of the former prime minister. Imran Khan He was produced before a special court inside a high security police facility here for trial in a corruption case in which he has been arrested.
The 70-year-old former cricketer-turned-politician was taken into custody by paramilitary Rangers on Tuesday on orders from the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) after barging into a room in the Islamabad High Court, where he had come to attend a corruption case hearing.
The New Police Guest House, located in the premises of the Police Line Headquarters in Sector H-11/1 area of Islamabad, was declared a court for the purpose of hearing the two cases against Khan.
The first case is about the Al-Qadir Trust which has allegedly caused a loss of more than Rs 50 billion to the national exchequer. Khan was arrested on Tuesday in the case, following which his supporters held massive protests across the country.
He was produced before the Anti-Accountability Court No. 1 presided over by Judge Mohammad Bashir, the same judge who convicted former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and his daughter Maryam in a corruption case involving assets in London. Maryam was later acquitted in the case by the Islamabad High Court.
However, Sharif’s case is still pending in the High Court as he failed to appear in the court.
At the start of the hearing, NAB’s lawyers requested the court to send Khan to 14-day remand to probe the allegations against him. But Khan’s lawyer opposed the plea and asked the judge to release him as the charges were fabricated.
The judge took a break after the preliminary hearing and was expected to give his verdict after the hearing resumes.
Khan will also be produced before the district and sessions court where Justice Humayun Dilawar will preside over the proceedings. The case pertains to concealment of income from the sale of government gifts and was filed by the Election Commission of Pakistan last year.
Citing sources, Geo News reported that a medical report submitted to NAB revealed that Khan has been declared fit and he did not complain of any pain to the doctors who examined him.
Elaborate security measures were put in place to prevent PTI workers and supporters from coming anywhere near the hearing facility. Even the media was not allowed to enter the area and even prominent PTI leaders were barred from watching the hearing or meeting their leader.
Those who were denied entry included PTI Senior Vice President Shah Mehmood Qureshi and General Secretary Asad Umar. In protest the two went to the Islamabad High Court to file a petition against the police’s decision to prevent them from seeing Khan.
However, before any legal process could begin, Omar was arrested by the Anti-Terrorism Squad of the Islamabad Police as two fresh cases were launched against him for the violence. PTI protested After Khan’s arrest
One said, “The most popular leader is being treated like this in this country where it is the law of the jungle. People of Pakistan want to see him recover, governance should act as per the wishes of the people of Pakistan.” ” Tweet from the official Twitter account of the party.
Khan’s party also filed a petition in the Supreme Court on Wednesday, challenging the Islamabad High Court’s Tuesday night verdict, which had supported his arrest.
“An application was filed in the Supreme Court by Barrister Ali Zafar and PTI leader Fawad Chaudhary challenging the IHC verdict against Imran Khan,” Dawn reported.
The Islamabad High Court on Tuesday night upheld Khan’s arrest, saying that the NAB had completed all legal formalities during his arrest.
Earlier on Wednesday, Qureshi had said that the party was working to ensure Khan’s release, adding that arrests and threats “will not stop us”.
He told the media on his way to the police lines that protests were expected after the arrests but called on people to remain peaceful. “Peaceful protest is your constitutional right, keep it going. But don’t take law into your hands,” he said.
Qureshi said that since Tuesday he has been appealing to the protesters to remain peaceful. He said that he had told party supporters that the government was looking for excuses to register fake cases against him. “They are looking for excuses to put pressure on you. Don’t give them a chance,” he said.
Meanwhile, the federal government has decided to deploy Pakistan Army troops in Punjab to maintain law and order situation in the most populous province, where violent protests erupted in several cities following Khan’s arrest on Tuesday.
According to a notification issued by the federal government, the decision was taken on the request of the Punjab government.
According to the notification, “the exact number/assets of troops, date of deployment and area will be worked out by the provincial government in consultation with Army Headquarters”.
The Pakistan Telecom Authority said that internet services across the country would remain suspended indefinitely. It confirmed that the decision to block mobile broadband services was taken on the instructions of the Ministry of Interior.
Following Khan’s arrest, services were suspended due to protests.
Khan’s party has claimed that at least four people were killed and over a dozen injured in different parts of the country in violent clashes between security forces and PTI supporters.
Protests and attacks on establishments continued in Peshawar for the second day on Wednesday, with one person killed in clashes between police and protesters at the animal market in the city’s Bacha Khan Chowk.
Angry protesters entered Radio Pakistan, Peshawar building and ransacked the offices.
Roads leading to Peshawar Cantonment and Corps Headquarters and the Corps Commander’s house in Peshawar were sealed. All educational institutions have been closed till Monday.
The 70-year-old former cricketer-turned-politician was taken into custody by paramilitary Rangers on Tuesday on orders from the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) after barging into a room in the Islamabad High Court, where he had come to attend a corruption case hearing.
The New Police Guest House, located in the premises of the Police Line Headquarters in Sector H-11/1 area of Islamabad, was declared a court for the purpose of hearing the two cases against Khan.
The first case is about the Al-Qadir Trust which has allegedly caused a loss of more than Rs 50 billion to the national exchequer. Khan was arrested on Tuesday in the case, following which his supporters held massive protests across the country.
He was produced before the Anti-Accountability Court No. 1 presided over by Judge Mohammad Bashir, the same judge who convicted former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and his daughter Maryam in a corruption case involving assets in London. Maryam was later acquitted in the case by the Islamabad High Court.
However, Sharif’s case is still pending in the High Court as he failed to appear in the court.
At the start of the hearing, NAB’s lawyers requested the court to send Khan to 14-day remand to probe the allegations against him. But Khan’s lawyer opposed the plea and asked the judge to release him as the charges were fabricated.
The judge took a break after the preliminary hearing and was expected to give his verdict after the hearing resumes.
Khan will also be produced before the district and sessions court where Justice Humayun Dilawar will preside over the proceedings. The case pertains to concealment of income from the sale of government gifts and was filed by the Election Commission of Pakistan last year.
Citing sources, Geo News reported that a medical report submitted to NAB revealed that Khan has been declared fit and he did not complain of any pain to the doctors who examined him.
Elaborate security measures were put in place to prevent PTI workers and supporters from coming anywhere near the hearing facility. Even the media was not allowed to enter the area and even prominent PTI leaders were barred from watching the hearing or meeting their leader.
Those who were denied entry included PTI Senior Vice President Shah Mehmood Qureshi and General Secretary Asad Umar. In protest the two went to the Islamabad High Court to file a petition against the police’s decision to prevent them from seeing Khan.
However, before any legal process could begin, Omar was arrested by the Anti-Terrorism Squad of the Islamabad Police as two fresh cases were launched against him for the violence. PTI protested After Khan’s arrest
One said, “The most popular leader is being treated like this in this country where it is the law of the jungle. People of Pakistan want to see him recover, governance should act as per the wishes of the people of Pakistan.” ” Tweet from the official Twitter account of the party.
Khan’s party also filed a petition in the Supreme Court on Wednesday, challenging the Islamabad High Court’s Tuesday night verdict, which had supported his arrest.
“An application was filed in the Supreme Court by Barrister Ali Zafar and PTI leader Fawad Chaudhary challenging the IHC verdict against Imran Khan,” Dawn reported.
The Islamabad High Court on Tuesday night upheld Khan’s arrest, saying that the NAB had completed all legal formalities during his arrest.
Earlier on Wednesday, Qureshi had said that the party was working to ensure Khan’s release, adding that arrests and threats “will not stop us”.
He told the media on his way to the police lines that protests were expected after the arrests but called on people to remain peaceful. “Peaceful protest is your constitutional right, keep it going. But don’t take law into your hands,” he said.
Qureshi said that since Tuesday he has been appealing to the protesters to remain peaceful. He said that he had told party supporters that the government was looking for excuses to register fake cases against him. “They are looking for excuses to put pressure on you. Don’t give them a chance,” he said.
Meanwhile, the federal government has decided to deploy Pakistan Army troops in Punjab to maintain law and order situation in the most populous province, where violent protests erupted in several cities following Khan’s arrest on Tuesday.
According to a notification issued by the federal government, the decision was taken on the request of the Punjab government.
According to the notification, “the exact number/assets of troops, date of deployment and area will be worked out by the provincial government in consultation with Army Headquarters”.
The Pakistan Telecom Authority said that internet services across the country would remain suspended indefinitely. It confirmed that the decision to block mobile broadband services was taken on the instructions of the Ministry of Interior.
Following Khan’s arrest, services were suspended due to protests.
Khan’s party has claimed that at least four people were killed and over a dozen injured in different parts of the country in violent clashes between security forces and PTI supporters.
Protests and attacks on establishments continued in Peshawar for the second day on Wednesday, with one person killed in clashes between police and protesters at the animal market in the city’s Bacha Khan Chowk.
Angry protesters entered Radio Pakistan, Peshawar building and ransacked the offices.
Roads leading to Peshawar Cantonment and Corps Headquarters and the Corps Commander’s house in Peshawar were sealed. All educational institutions have been closed till Monday.