Imran Khan, Shah Mahmood get bail from ATC

ISLAMABAD: An Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) in Islamabad on Monday granted bail to former prime minister Imran Khan and former foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi.

ATC Judge Abu Alhasnat Zulqarnain heard the pleas of the former chairman of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and vice chairman Qureshi. The prosecutor opposed the PTI stalwarts’ bail plea, citing it as an ‘extraordinary’ relief.

Were the PTI founder and Shah Mahmood Qureshi present at the incident scenes, in which they were booked? the judge asked the prosecutor. No, they were not, the prosecutor replied.

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Later, ATC granted bail to Imran Khan in three cases and Shah Mahmood Qureshi in two cases. Both the accused are currently in Adiala Jail, in cipher case.

Last month, the ATC also indicted the charges against PTI leaders Yasmeen Rashid and Ijaz Chaudhry in the May 9 police van arson case. The court also indicted another PTI leader Rubeena Jameel in the case.

Meanwhile, a single bench of the Lahore High Court (LHC) has sent Imran Khan’s petition against the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) contempt proceedings and his jail trial.

LHC Justice Alia Neelam on Monday heard the petition of the former prime minister who filed his plea through advocate Ishtiaq A Khan. During the hearing, Justice Neelam remarked that several issues have been raised in the petition.

The judge inquired in how many cases, the jail trial of the PTI founder is being conducted.

The lawyer replied that there were notifications of jail trial by the Ministry of Interior in cases related to cipher disappearance and Al-Qadir Trust.

The court inquired whether he had attached all the records with the application. The lawyer replied in negative.

He said he would attach the record and requested the court to give the next date for the case hearing tomorrow as the petitioner would be indicted in the ECP contempt proceedings the day after tomorrow.

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The judge disagreed with the lawyer remarking that this case needs to be heard by a full court. She remarked that if an order is made in one case, what would be the effect on the others?

The court directed the application of the former prime minister to be presented before the full bench for hearing and to attach all the notification records with the application.

Later, the court referred the petition to the LHC chief justice for forwarding it to the full bench.