LAHORE: The Lahore High Court on Thursday declared former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan’s jail remand in 12 cases related to the May 9 riots null and void.
PTI founding chairman Imran Khan had challenged his physical remand in the May 9 cases, including the attack on the corps commander’s residence, in the Lahore High Court, which comes in these cases immediately after the former premier and his wife Bushra Bibi were rearrested in a fresh Toshakhana case, following their acquittal in the Iddat case, which had almost led to their release from jail.
A division bench headed by Justice Tariq Saleem Sheikh and including Justice Anwar-ul-Haq heard Imran Khan’s plea. Yesterday, the court had sought details of the cases and charges against Imran Khan.
Advocate Salman Safdar appeared on behalf of the petitioner and argued that on July 15, an Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) granted Imran Khan’s custody to the police during a hearing he attended via WhatsApp video call from Adiala Jail, Rawalpindi.
The petition claimed that the ATC’s order misinterpreted established principles of the law of remand and urged the court to overturn it as unlawful.
It asserted that the remand was unjustifiable, given that the only allegations against the petitioner were of abetment and conspiracy, and his participation in the investigation was unnecessary since the FIR did not specify his role.
Today, Justices Tariq Saleem Sheikh and Anwarul Haq Pannun resumed the hearing, with Advocate Salman Safdar representing Imran Khan and Punjab Prosecutor General Farhad Ali Shah present.
The court declared the former Prime Minister’s remand unlawful and also nullified a notification allowing Imran Khan’s appearance via video link due to security concerns.
An anti-terrorism court in Lahore had granted remand for PTI founder Imran Khan into police custody for 10 days in 12 cases related to the May 9 riots.
The Punjab Police had arrested Imran Khan in May 9 cases following a district and sessions court’s verdict on July 13, quashing their sentences in a case relating to legality of the couple’s 2018 marriage, the only remaining case in which they were serving jail terms. However, Punjab Police and NAB swiftly filed new cases against him to prevent his release from jail.
Khan and his wife Bushra Khan, also known as Bushra Bibi, were sentenced to seven years in prison, days before Pakistan’s election in February, with a court ruling at the time that their marriage in 2018 violated Islamic law.
Imran Khan, who has been incarcerated at Adiala Jail for almost a year and faces over 200 cases, will remain behind bars as he is on jail remand of the National Accountability Court in a fresh Toshakhana corruption case, filed against him after his acquittal in the illegal marriage case.
The Supreme Court and Islamabad High Court earlier had suspended Imran Khan’s sentences in Ciper and Toshakhana cases respectively.
