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Islamabad, 11 May: Pakistan’s Supreme Court on Thursday ordered former Prime Minister Imran Khan to appear in court within an hour, Dawn newspaper reported. “The judgment will be delivered today,” said Umar Ata Bandial, Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP).
Khan’s arrest on Tuesday sparked violent protests across the country. CJP Bandial has ordered the country’s National Accountability Bureau (NAB) to produce the head of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) in the Supreme Court of Pakistan today. Imran Khan arrested: Pakistan’s Supreme Court directs National Bank (NAB) to summon the former prime minister within an hour, saying the institution is guilty of ‘contempt of court’.
A three-member bench comprising CJP Bandial, Judge Muhammad Ali Mazhar and Judge Athar Minallah heard Khan’s plea for his arrest in the Al-Qadir Trust case, Dawn reported. Imran Khan arrested: Pakistan’s Supreme Court directs National Bank (NAB) to summon the former prime minister within an hour, saying the institution is guilty of ‘contempt of court’.
At the start of the hearing, one of Imran’s lawyers, Hamid Khan, appeared on the podium and informed the Supreme Court that his client had applied to the Islamabad High Court (IHC) for pre-arrest bail.
Imran Khan was undergoing biometrics at the time of his arrest, his lawyer said. “The rangers misbehaved with Imran Khan and arrested him,” Dawn quoted the lawyer as saying.
CJP Bandial observed court records showing that the case has not yet been set for trial. Lawyers told the court that no appeal could be lodged without completing the biometrics process.
CJP Bandial said there was some “respect” for the court.Recalling an incident in the past, he said, “National Bank arrested a suspect from the Supreme Court car park [lot]. The court subsequently reversed the arrest. “
The CJP asked Imran Khan’s lawyers about the number of Rangers who arrested the former prime minister. Imran’s lawyer responded that “100 rangers entered the courtroom” to arrest the PTI chief.
“What dignity does the court have if 90 people enter the court building? How can anyone be arrested from the court building?” he asked. “In the past, action has been taken against lawyers for vandalism inside the courtroom,” he said. “If a person has surrendered to the court, what does it mean to arrest them?”
He further said NAB committed “contempt of court”. “They should have obtained permission from the court clerk before arresting. Court staff were also mistreated,” he added.
CJP Bandial stressed that everyone should have access to relief through the courts and individuals should feel safe approaching the courts. Imran’s lawyer then demanded his client’s release from NAB custody, saying the arrest was made without the presence of investigators.
The chief justice noted that the court is currently reviewing the manner of the arrest and whether there was contempt of court. Imran’s lawyer said the PTI chief was on the “radar” of terrorists. He said it was only after the arrest that it was discovered that the arrest warrant had been issued on May 1.
Another of Imran’s lawyers, lawyer Salman Akram Raja, told the court that the secretary of the interior ministry had indicated that he had not yet received a warrant for the execution.
At this point, the CJP said that everything that happened after Imran’s arrest should stop. “This does not mean that we turn a blind eye to what is illegal. Sentences should be made that apply to everyone. Access to justice is the right of every defendant,” he said.
Hamid, Imran’s lawyer, said the party would not have approached the SC if the person in charge of Imran had been arrested outside his home or court. Here, Judge Mazhar asked Imran if he had responded to the NAB’s notice and the lawyer replied in the affirmative. “According to the law, arrests cannot be made while the investigation is ongoing,” Hamid said.
(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from a Syndicated News feed, the content body may not have been modified or edited by LatestLY staff)
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