Pakistan’s higher court has asked the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) to produce former Prime Minister Imran Khan in the court within one hour. The Supreme Court has also termed the arrest illegal as it heard the petitions filed by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) against the arrest of their party chief.
A three-member Supreme Court bench, comprising Chief Justice of Pakistan Umar Ata Bandial, Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar and Justice Athar Minallah, heard PTI Chairman Imran Khan’s plea against his arrest in the Al-Qadir Trust case. The court said that it is very serious about the matter and added that it will issue an appropriate order today.
Imran Khan’s advocate said that he had approached the Islamabad High Court to seek pre-arrest bail, but he was arrested while in the process of getting his biometrics done for the plea. When the CJI noted that the court records show that the case had not been fixed for hearing, the lawyer said that the appeal could not be filed without completing the biometric process.
The court noted that Imran Khan had indeed entered the court premises, from where he was arrested. “How can anyone be denied the right to justice?” asked Justice Minallah. The bench strongly objected to the arrest by NAB inside the court premises. CJP Bandial said that there was a certain “respect” for the courts, and recalled an incident when the court har reversed the arrest of a suspect because that person was arrested from the parking lot of the Supreme Court.
The court also took objection to the fact that around 100 rangers came to the court to arrest Imran Khan. “What dignity remains of the court if 90 people entered its premises? How can any individual be arrested from court premises?” the CJP asked.
CJP Umar Ata Bandial observed that NAB had committed “contempt of court” by arresting Imran Khan inside the court premises. “They should have taken permission from the court’s registrar before the arrest. Court staffers were also subjected to abuse,” he said. The CJP emphasised that courts should be accessible to everyone for relief and that individuals should feel safe to approach the courts.
Imran Khan’s counsel demanded the immediate release of the former PM, saying that the arrest was made without an investigation officer present. The chief justice responded by saying that the court was currently examining the manner in which the arrest was conducted and whether contempt had taken place.
Earlier, Imran Khan was sent to the National Accountability Bureau’s (NAB) remand for 8 days in the Al-Qadir Trust land deal case and was also indicted in the Toshakhana corruption case by a Pakistan court.
Imran Khan, was arrested by the country’s security forces under corruption charges on Tuesday, May 9. Since then, the country has seen several violent protests as Imran Khan’s supporters clash with the army and the ruling establishment.
Imran Khan had reportedly gone to the Islamabad HC to seek bail in multiple FIRs registered against him when he was arrested by Pakistan rangers.
The PTI chief reportedly has been arrested in the Al-Qadir Trust case of the National Accountability Bureau as well as the Toshakhana case.
The arrest has led to widespread unrest and clashes across the country with several PTI supporters getting killed in the aftermath of the arrest.