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Imran Khan’s interim bail in Al-Qadir Trust case extended till June 3Breaking

May 31, 2023

The Islamabad High Court has extended Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan’s interim bail in the Al-Qadir Trust Case till June 3. The PTI chairman’s legal team had sought an extension till June 8, which was rejected by the court. A division bench comprising Justice Miangul Hasan Aurangzeb and Justice Saman Riffat conducted the hearing. The bench extended Imran’s interim bail for three days, and ordered him to refer to the accountability court over expiry of the period.

Upon not referring to the court concerned, the interim bail will stand invalid. Speaking to the media informally in the courtroom, the former premier claimed he floated the offer for talks to stabilize the country’s economy. He further said there is no other option except election right now. Imran also alleged that the establishment and the government were the same thing, as the establishment was running the government.

To a question if President Arif Alvi does not respond to him, the PTI chief refuted the reports, saying it is not true the two are not in touch. He also said they had talked to former army chief Gen (retd) Qamar Bajwa also about elections. He added he was cooperating with the teams probing all the cases against him. Declaring the PTI a terrorist party is an attempt to keep it out of elections, Imran alleged, adding his people were being blackmailed through all kinds of means.

Earlier in the day, Imran Khan had left his Zaman Park residence in Lahore to appear before the National Accountability Bureau’s Rawalpindi office and Islamabad High Court in various cases. Imran Khan is also accompanied by a team of lawyers. On the other hand, the Islamabad accountability court has declared infructuous the bail petition of Bushra Bibi over her arrest warrant not being issued in the 190 million pound Al-Qadir Trust case.

The former first wife appeared in the court of accountability judge Muhammad Bashir along with her husband Imran Khan. Her lawyer Khawaja Haris told the court that the NAB did not send even a single notice for joining the investigation and converted the inquiry into an investigation. Bushra Bibi went to the NAB office with her husband on orders. Deputy Prosecutor General Sardar Muzaffar said Imran Khan made unethical statements on May 13 against the NAB chairman, did false propaganda against the bureau.

Imran Khan said the NAB issued arrest warrant for Bushra Bibi, he said, adding this is dishonesty to pressurize the bureau. He claimed the bureau did not conduct a raid nor did they attack. No arrest warrant was issued for Bushra Bibi, he said, adding she is a suspect and should cooperate with the bureau. The court had approved her interim bail in the case till today. The court has also sought replies from the NAB and the investigation officer. A large contingent of police will be deployed outside the Judicial Complex, Islamabad.

On Tuesday, the former premier had submitted surety bonds for interim bail in four cases at the Lahore High Court and Special Anti-Terrorism Court. The cases in which the bonds were submitted included the Corps Commander House attack, arson at a plaza in Lahore as well as two other cases. Three surety bonds worth Rs100,000 were submitted before the special ATC, while one in the LHC. Both the courts accepted the bonds. Imran’s interim bail in all four cases was extended till June 2.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan-INP