ISLAMABAD: In the case brought against him by the Islamabad Police for threatening a female judge, a district and sessions court in Islamabad confirmed PTI Chairman Imran Khan’s release on bail.
The PTI leader was given temporary release from custody in the case last week in exchange for surety bonds worth Rs 50,000 until today. Babar Awan, his attorney, offered to pay the bond in the sum of Rs. 5,000, but was told that it was actually Rs. 50,000.
Khan then attended in court and paid the bond of Rs. 50 000.
In addition to Awan, the former prime minister also made an appearance before judge Kamran Basharat Mufti. Additionally present was prosecutor Wajid Munir.
Awan informed the court that his client was named in two cases during the hearing and pleaded with it to grant bail.
The judge then requested the prosecution’s position by asking Munir.
Munir informed the court that the Kohsar Police Station had included Section 505, a non-bailable offence, in the first information report (FIR).
The prosecutor stated, “Imran Khan made an offensive statement.”
Awan, however, informed the court that a case had also been opened at the Margalla Police Station and that anti-terrorism provisions had been included to the FIR but had since been deleted at the high court’s request.
The judge then commented that since the public gathering was taking place at F-9 Park, how was it possible that section 144 applied to the situation?
He added that there are clauses in the case that allow for bail while pointing out that section 506-2 is not included in the FIR.
The bail for the PTI chairman was subsequently approved by the court.
Imran Khan receives interim approval from the court
A sessions court granted interim bail to Khan until October 13 last week (today).
At a protest in F-9 Park on August 20, Khan threatened to “terrorise” law enforcement personnel and the judiciary, calling for the arrest of Zeba Chaudhry, a judicial magistrate, and other police officers.
The major objective, according to the FIR, was to stop the judiciary and police from fulfilling their legal tasks. According to Section 7 of the ATA, the FIR was filed after Magistrate Ali Javed filed a complaint at Islamabad’s Margalla Police Station.
However, on September 19, the Islamabad High Court dismissed the terrorism-related accusations and ordered that the matter be transferred to the appropriate court in accordance with the FIR’s remaining provisions.
The Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) section of the case was withdrawn and transferred to a sessions court on September 20 as per the anti-terrorism court’s order.
Imran Khan also asked the court on September 22 to permit him to personally apologise to judge Zeba Chaudhry at a hearing of a contempt case in the IHC.
Due to Imran Khan’s failure to appear in court, a magistrate at Islamabad’s Margalla Police Station later issued an arrest warrant for him. But until October 7, Khan was granted protected bail by the IHC.