Imran tells court ‘fearful for his life’
ISLAMABAD,(Parliament Times): The legal woes of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan multiplied on Wednesday when an accountability court sent him on an eight-day physical remand to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) in the Al-Qadir Trust case. Before this, a sessions court in Islamabad had indicted Khan — who was ousted as the prime minister in April last year — in the Toshakhana case. The former prime minister was presented before the judges at Islamabad Police Lines, which was given the status of a court as a “one-time dispensation” late on Tuesday night. Khan first appeared before an accountability court Judge Mohammad Bashir who reserved the verdict in the Al-Qadir Trust embezzlement case after the defence and plaintiffs concluded their arguments.
The NAB had requested a 14-day physical remand — the maximum allowed in the law.Khan was arrested on Tuesday by Rangers on the orders of the NAB, an autonomous anti-graft agency, in relation to the corruption case. He was then moved to its office in the garrison town of Rawalpindi for questioning. Later, announcing the reserved verdict on Khan’s arrest, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) said that the arrest was legal; therefore, Khan’s legal team challenged the verdict in the Supreme Court; however, the plea was turned down by the apex court citing various reasons. Accountability court’s hearing At the outset of the hearing, the NAB sought a 14-day physical remand; however, the PTI lawyers opposed the request. Sources told media that Khan’s legal team was earlier denied permission to meet the party chief ahead of the hearing; however, once the hearing began Khan held discussions — during a hearing break — with lawyers Khawaja Haris, Faisal Chaudhry, Ali Gohar, and Ali Bukhari. Several officials of the anti-graft watchdog including Special Prosecutor Rafay Maqsood, Deputy Prosecutor Muzaffar Abbasi, Prosecutor Sardar Zulqarnain and investigation officer Mian Umar Nadeem were present in the court. Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan told an accountability court on Wednesday that he was fearful for his life. “I have not been to the washroom in 24 hours,” the former prime minister said during the proceedings of the Al-Qadir Trust case, in which he was arrested a day earlier. The PTI chief requested the court to grant his personal physician Dr Faisal Sultan access to him. “I am afraid I will meet the same fate as ‘Maqsood Chaprasi’,” Imran said in reference to an alleged key witness in Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s money laundering case who passed away due to a cardiac arrest last year.
The PTI had termed the witness’ death ‘mysterious’. “They give [you] an injection, and [you] slowly die,” the ex-premier said. Imran was presented before the accountability court today, after being arrested from the premises of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) in the Al-Qadir Trust case a day earlier. During today’s hearing, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) requested a 14-day physical remand of the PTI chief.Accountability court judge Muhammad Bashir heard the case at the New Police Guest House, wherein the NAB presented reasons behind the former prime minister’s arrest. However, Imran’s legal team opposed NAB’s request. His lawyer Khawaja Harris maintained that the PTI chief will cooperate in the investigation and that there was “no need for a physical remand”. The court reserved its verdict after listening to the arguments of the PTI chief’s counsel. In a startling development a day earlier, PTI chairman and deposed premier Imran Khan was arrested in the Al-Qadir Trust case from the premises of the IHC, where he was present for two hearings. Video clips broadcast on TV channels showed Imran – who had been using a wheelchair since being shot during an assassination attempt last year – being manhandled by dozens of security personnel into an armoured vehicle inside the court premises. The Islamabad police issued a statement quoting the federal capital’s police chief Akbar Nasir saying that the PTI chairman had been arrested in connection with the Al-Qadir Trust case, which alleged that Imran and his wife, Bushra Bibi, acquired billions of rupees from a real estate company for legalising a laundered amount of Rs60 billion, which was identified and returned to Pakistan by the UK while the former premier was in power.
The NAB prosecutor informed the additional sessions judge Mohammad Bashir that Khan was shown warrants at the time of arrest; however, the PTI chief denied the claims saying that he saw the arrest warrants after reaching the NAB office. Abbasi assured the judge that all necessary documents will be provided to the PTI chief’s lawyers. The judge, taking a break, directed the legal team to hold discussions with Khan as the former complained that the authorities did not allow them to meet their client before the hearing. When the hearing resumed after the break, Khawaja Haris argued about the legality of Khan’s arrest. Sharing the details of the case, Abbasi said that the money was seized by the UK’s National Crime Agency and sent it back to the Government of Pakistan. After the completion of the lawyer Haris’s argument, Khan complained that which record is the anti-graft watch dog seeking that he is not sharing with the officials.
“The NAB is saying they want to compile the records,” Khan said, questioning when did he deny access to any of the records. The former prime minister added that all transactions were made after the approval of the cabinet. Recalling yesterday’s events, Khan urged the judges to summon his team of doctors, especially Dr Faisal. Imran Khan denies charges in Toshakhana case Additional Sessions Judge Humayun Dilawar indicted Khan; however, the PTI chief denied charges and did not sign any documents. On May 5, an Islamabad district and session court had summoned Khan today (May 10) to frame charges against him in the Toshakhana case — in which the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has sough proceeding under the criminal law against the PTI. The reference filed by the electoral body alleges that Imran had “deliberately concealed” details of the gifts he retained from the Toshaskhana — a repository where presents handed to government officials from foreign officials are kept — during his time as the prime minister and proceeds from their reported sales. Khan’s indictment in the case has been pending for long due to him skipping hearings multiple times, which led to the issuance of an arrest warrant for him. Howver, the authorities failed to arrest him. Hearings held at a ‘special location’ It should be noted that Khan was not brought to a regular court in the federal capital and his scheduled hearing took place at the location where he was under custody.
The Islamabad chief commissioner earlier said that Khan, instead of being taken to F-8 Court Complex and Judicial Complex G 11/4, will be presented at New Police Guest House, Police Lines — which has been given one-time status of the court for this particular hearing, a notification issued by the Government of Pakistan read.The decision to present Khan at a special court instead of a NAB court was taken in view of security threats to his life. According to sources, the PTI chief was shifted to an unknown place late at night from NAB’s office. “[…] the Provincial Government, as a one-time dispensation, is pleased to declare New Police Guest House, Police Lines Headquarters H 11/1, Islamabad, the venue for hearing of case titled ‘District Election Commissioner Vs Imran Khan Niazi’ and for the appearance of Mr Imran Khan Niazi before Honorable Judge Accountability Court – I, Islamabad on 10th May 2023, instead of F-8 Court Complex, Islamabad and Judicial Complex G 11/4, Islamabad,” notification issued by the provincial government, ICT read. It should be noted that entry access to special court has only been granted to people according to the court list, while the permission for coverage depends on the judges. Imran Khan declared medically ‘fit’ Meanwhile, the sources said that a medical report submitted to the NAB showed that Khan has been declared fit and he did not complain of any pain to the doctors examining him.
A day earlier, immediately after being arrested Khan was taken for a medical checkup. A medical board, comprising seven doctors from the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) hospital and two doctors from the Polyclinic, examined Khan and conducted several tests. The report submitted by the board, headed by Dr Rizwan Taj, showed that Khan’s blood pressure, sugar level, and heartbeat were normal after repeated tests. Punjab, KP govts seeks army’s assistance As political tensions continue to escalate, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa authorities have also called in army troops to control the situation on the ground following the suit of the Punjab government. The Ministry of Interior has approved the Punjab government’s request for assistance by sanctioning ten companies of troops, saying: “The army would be working alongside district administration to restore law, order and peace”. “The exact number of troops/assets, date and area of deployment will be worked out by the Provincial Government in consultation with MO Dte, GHQ. The date of de-requisitioning of said deployment will be decided subsequently after mutual consultation among both the stakeholders,” notification issued by the Ministry of Interior read.