Politics

In major relief, LHC grants Imran Khan protective bail in nine cases

Published

6 months ago

Farwa

PTI chairman gets bail in civil and terrorism cases.
Police allowed to investigate March 14, 15 events.
Petition against Zaman Park operation wrapped up.

LAHORE: In a major relief for Imran Khan, the Lahore High Court (LHC) Friday approved protective bails of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman in eight terrorism cases and one civil case — a total of nine — after he appeared before the court in person.

The PTI chief had approached the LHC earlier in the day to seek protective bail in nine cases. Five of those cases are registered in Islamabad and four in Lahore.

A two-member bench comprising Justice Tariq Saleem Sheikh and Justice Farooq Haider conducted the hearing on bail pleas filed against the cases that are lodged under terrorism sections.

For the five cases in Islamabad, the court granted bail to Khan till March 24 and for the three cases in Lahore, he received bail for 10 days (March 27).

Justice Sheikh also heard the bail pleas that the former prime minister filed against the civil cases registered against him, in which he approved the PTI chief’s protective bail till March 27.

The high court has also granted police access to Zaman Park, Khan’s residence in Lahore, for investigating the incidents that transpired on March 14 and March 15 — when clashes left several injured.

The court also wrapped up PTI Senior Vice President Fawad Chaudhry’s plea against the operation at Zaman Park and ordered the party to ensure it cooperates with the authorities.

Hundreds of PTI supporters accompanied Imran Khan when he visited the high court, while authorities also allowed his bulletproof vehicle to enter the court premises.

At Khan’s Zaman Park residence — which became a battleground on Tuesday — workers shielded the party chairman’s home to thwart his possible arrest. Later, the situation was calm as the Islamabad High Court restricted police from arresting him in the Toshakhana case.

The legal proceedings against Khan began soon after he was ousted from Prime Minister’s Office in a parliamentary vote early last year. Since then, he has been demanding a snap election and holding nationwide protests, and was shot and wounded in one of those rallies in Wazirabad on November 3.

Incumbent Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has rejected Khan’s demands, saying the election would be held as scheduled later this year.

Terrorism cases

Khan’s counsel told the court that his client does not have the details of all the cases. In response, Justice Sheikh said that the LHC cannot give the PTI chief blanket bail and it will only consider those cases against which the pleas have been filed.

Khan intervened and said he was confused as numerous cases have been filed against him. “When I get bail in one case, another is there waiting for me.” He added that an “unprecedented” attack was launched on his house.

Justice Saleem told Khan that he should have cooperated with the system and asked the PTI chief to review his actions.

Khan said that he wanted the case filed in the lower court against him to be shifted to another court as it was a “death trap”. He said that he asked authorities for providing him with adequate security.

At this, Justice Saleem said: “Khan sahab, the case has been mishandled at your end.”

The PTI chief then lamented that “94 cases” have been filed against him and if six more were to be lodged, then they would hit 100. “This will be a non-cricket century.”

The court then granted bail to Khan in cases filed in Islamabad till March 24 and in the cases filed in Lahore, he received bail till March 27.

Zille Shah murder case

During the hearing, Khan’s counsel Azhar Siddique asked the LHC to grant Khan protective bail so he can appear before relevant courts, while he noted the plea in the Toshakhana case is ineffective.

The lawyer noted that Khan needs a 10-day protective bail plea in the Zille Shah murder case which has been registered at Lahore’s Sarwar Road Police Station.

At this, the court granted protective bail till March 27.

The lawyer then urged the court that no action should be taken against the PTI chief until he receives the details of the cases against him.

The federal government’s lawyer told the court that he does not have details of the cases lodged against Khan in other provinces. “For this, the court will have to issue notices.

Then Punjab government’s lawyer sought time for providing the complete records of the cases lodged against Khan.

After the arguments, the high court sought the records of all the cases registered and restricted authorities from taking disciplinary action against Khan till Tuesday next week.

Police investigation

The Punjab Police had also filed a plea in the high court for allowing the law enforcers to investigate the events that transpired on March 14 and 15 — when the authorities and PTI went face-to-face.

At the hearing, the PTI chief’s lawyer told the court that the police can come and investigate, but SSP Zaman Park should not visit the place with a huge force.

Justice Sheikh asked the lawyer whether he could control the investigation. After this, Khan’s counsel said that the investigation officer may come to Zaman Park and investigate.

The high court then allowed the investigation officer to visit Zaman Park and probe in line with the law.

Zaman Park operation

During the case’s hearing, Justice Sheikh said the court issued the summons in line with the law and a perception is being created that the state’s writ is being ignored.

“Such problems should not arise again,” the judge said.

In response, Khan told the judge that his party’s name includes “insaf (justice)” and added that he was aware of March 18, but the police came prior to that date.

“Their force came in such huge numbers; there is no precedence to the attack that occurred at my house,” the former prime minister said, claiming that he was sure that the police did not come to take him to Islamabad, but Balochistan.

Khan’s lawyer asked the judge about the status of a case that has been filed against Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah. At this, Justice Sheikh said that when the case is presented before him, he will let him know.

The judge then wrapped up Fawad Chaudhry’s plea against the police operation at Zaman Park and told the PTI to cooperate with the authorities.

Politics

Political bigwigs to face accountability as NAB submits records to court

Published

1 day ago

Farwa

ISLAMABAD: In line with the Supreme Court’s order to restore graft cases against public office holders, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) submitted a record of corruption references to an accountability court in Islamabad.

Accountability Judge Muhammad Bashir directed the registrar of the court to review the cases’ records and present them before him.

The judge directed the NAB prosecutors to review the legal aspects of the cases as the nature of cases against private individuals, public office holders, and government employees is different.

The development came as NAB prosecutors Sohail Arif and Sardar Muzaffar appeared in the accountability court to brief the judge on the reopening of the cases.

“You [prosecutours] have to tell which case can be heard and which is not in a [court’s] jurisdiction, Judge Bashir stated.

NAB prosecutor Abbasi assured the judge that the anti-graft watchdog will ensure the implementation of the apex court order and submit all relevant records to the court.

On September 15, a three-member bench of the apex in a majority 2-1 verdict approved Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan’s petition challenging amendments made to the country’s accountability laws during the tenure of the previous Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM)-led government.

The then-chief justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Ata Bandial-led bench ordered restoring all graft cases that were closed against the political leaders and public office holders and declared the amendments void.

In this regard, the anti-corruption watchdog wrote a letter to the registrar of an accountability court in the federal capital in line with the Supreme Court’s ruling.

Last week, NAB Chairman Lt-Gen (retd) Nazir Ahmed Butt summoned a consultative meeting to formulate the future course of action.

The cases will be reopened against former prime ministers Nawaz Sharif, Yousuf Raza Gillani, Raja Pervez Ashraf, Shehbaz Sharif, Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, former president Asif Ali Zardari, former chief ministers of Sindh, Punjab as well as dozens of former federal and provincial ministers, according to The News.

Sources said the fake accounts cases against Zardari and the rental power plants case against Ashraf have also been reopened. They added that the Toshakhana vehicles cases against Zardari, Nawaz and Gillani would also be investigated again.

Other politicians who would face cases include former chief minister Sindh Murad Ali Shah, former finance minister Miftah Ismail and former finance minister Senator Ishaq Dar for amassing assets beyond known sources of income.

Politics

‘Culprits Bajwa, Faiz’ should be held accountable for causing instability: Sanaullah

Published

1 day ago

Farwa

“They are culprits of Pakistan,” says former interior minister.
Sanaullah says Bajwa, Faiz should be brought to justice for causing instability.
PML-N to address problems of common man on priority, he adds.

KARACHI: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader and former interior minister Rana Sanaullah has held former army chief Gen (retd) Qamar Javed Bajwa and former Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) chief Faiz Hamid responsible for prevailing political and economic crises in the country.

In an interview with a local TV channel on Wednesday, Sanaullah called the former top military officials “culprits of the nation”, demanding that they should be brought to justice for causing political and economic instability in the country, The News reported.

In response to a question, Sanaullah said: “These people are culprits of the nation. They are the culprits of Pakistan. They are culprits of not just the PML-N but also of the entire nation.”

“They will not be forgiven. These people must be held accountable. They are responsible for the current instability in the country and they must be asked why they created instability in 2017,” he added.

Answering another question what action PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif would propose if his party came to power against Gen Bajwa, Gen Hamid, former chief justice of Pakistan (CJP) Saqib Nisar and a sitting senior Supreme Court judge whom he named while addressing his party’s Punjab Tanzeemi Committee meeting via video link on Tuesday or it was only a statement, Sanaullah said these people were responsible for citizens starving in the country because they brought about political instability, which in turn led to economic instability.

When asked what the PML-N’s plan was for “these national culprits”, he said his party would not rush towards revenge. In his address, he said, Sharif made it clear that first the injured person in need of urgent medical attention must be attended and then action should be taken against the culprits.

“If the PML-N gets an opportunity to come to power, first of all, our priority would be to address the problems of the common man, and later those responsible for their plight, in my opinion as the decision would be made by the party, should be booked in a case.”

Sanaullah further said that these culprits should be brought to justice just the way Pervez Musharraf was brought to the dock and the credit for that must be given to the PML-N.

To another query, if action would also be taken against the sitting SC judge named by Nawaz Sharif, he said, “Yes, [he] should be accountable…. Yesterday, Nawaz Sharif’s statement was a policy statement and he said these people should be held accountable.”

Politics

NAB moves to reopen graft cases against political bigwigs after SC order

Published

1 day ago

Farwa

NAB writes letter to registrar of accountability court
NAB likely to submit record of cases to court in next two days.
Regional offices of anti-corruption watchdog compile data on cases.

ISLAMABAD: After the Supreme Court’s verdict to strike down the amendments made to the anti-graft law, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) decided in principle to reopen corruption cases against political bigwigs, The News reported Thursday.

The then-chief justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Ata Bandial-led bench ordered restoring all graft cases worth less than Rs500 million that were closed against the political leaders and public office holders and declared the amendments void.

In this regard, the anti-corruption watchdog wrote a letter to the registrar of an accountability court in the federal capital in line with the Supreme Court’s ruling.

Last week, NAB Chairman Lt-Gen (retd) Nazir Ahmed Butt summoned a consultative meeting to formulate the future course of action.

NAB is likely to submit the record of all cases to the court in the next two days for resuming hearing. The cases will be reopened against former prime ministers Nawaz Sharif, Yousuf Raza Gillani, Raja Pervez Ashraf, Shehbaz Sharif, Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, former president Asif Ali Zardari, former chief ministers of Sindh, Punjab as well as dozens of former federal and provincial ministers.

Sources said NAB was still continuing legal examination of cases that were closed earlier, and compiling records of cases that were at the stages of complaint verification, inquiries and investigations.

Regional offices of NAB in Rawalpindi, Lahore, Multan, Sukkur, Karachi, Peshawar, and Quetta are compiling complete data of cases that would be submitted to the accountability courts, said sources. “NAB will fulfil its obligation once the legal consultation is finalised in the light of the Supreme Court decision in the NAB amendments case.”

NAB amendments

The NAB amendments not only reduced the four-year term of the NAB chairman and the bureau’s prosecutor general to three years but also placed all regulatory bodies functioning in the country out of NAB’s domain.

Furthermore, the changes included that a three-year term be set for the judges of the accountability courts and that courts be bound to decide a case within one year.

Challenging the amendments, Imran Khan approached the apex court and petitioned that the amendments be struck down on the grounds that they were unconstitutional.

The petition argued that amendments to sections 2, 4, 5, 6, 25 and 26 of the NAB law are against the Constitution, along with amendments made to sections 14, 15, 21 and 23.

Furthermore, the PTI chief argued that amendments in the NAB law are contrary to the fundamental rights of Articles 9, 14, 19, 24, and 25.

All these amendments made in the NAB law should be declared null and void, the PTI Chairman had requested.

To hear Khan’s plea, a special three-member bench was formed on July 15, 2022. The first hearing of the case against the NAB amendments was held on July 19 last year after Khan’s lawyer Khawaja Haris filed an application 184/3 against the NAB amendments.

Both the federation and NAB were made parties in the petition.