In a recent development in Lahore, the court has turned down the request of Chairman Imran Khan from the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party for exemption from appearing in court regarding seven cases, including those involving interim bails.
The Anti-Terrorism Court conducted a hearing on this matter, where Chairman Imran Khan sought relief from appearing for interim bail hearings. Despite arguments presented by Barrister Salman Safdar, the legal representative for Imran Khan, and Special Prosecutor Farhad Ali Shah, the court reached a decision.
The court’s verdict was unfavorable for Chairman Imran Khan, as his bail pleas were rejected due to non-compliance, and his request for exemption was dismissed. The decision came after the court had reserved its judgment on the matter. On May 9, the Anti-Terrorism Court, presided over by Judge Ijaz Ahmed Butar, heard the plea regarding exemption from appearing in interim bail proceedings related to multiple cases, including the Jinnah House attack.
During the hearing, Barrister Salman Safdar, representing Imran Khan, requested additional time for preparing arguments on the exemption from attendance. He expressed a desire to gather more records to present a stronger case. However, the court insisted on hearing the arguments based on the existing evidence.
Salman Safdar informed the court that the Supreme Court had already ordered not to arrest Chairman PTI in the Quetta case until August 24. He further urged the court to treat the legal proceedings like a full-fledged cricket match and issue a production order if Imran Khan intended to appear in court. He also highlighted that his legal team was not fully prepared that day.
In response, Special Prosecutor Farhad Ali Shah emphasized that the court could not grant concessions that go against the law. He argued that bail could only be granted upon compliance and that the concept of bail cannot apply if a person is already convicted. Farhad Ali Shah contended that discussing hypothetical scenarios and decisions contrary to the law was not permissible. He asserted that an accused who has been convicted should not be summoned to court for interim bail.
After considering the arguments from both sides, the court reserved its decision regarding Chairman Imran Khan’s plea for exemption from attendance during interim bail proceedings in the seven cases. As a result, the interim bail requests were not granted.