LAHORE: The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Tuesday approved protective bail of PTI Chairman Imran Khan till March 27.
PTI Chairman @ImranKhanPTI in Lahore High Court today ! pic.twitter.com/9MQRdOnMhl
— PTI (@PTIofficial) March 21, 2023
The PTI Chairman had appeared before Justice Tariq Saleem Sheikh to seek protective bail in two cases.
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The first information reports (FIRs) registered at the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) and the Golra police stations in the capital accused the PTI chief and party workers of being involved in attacking police and creating unrest outside the Judicial Complex in Islamabad during the hearing of the Toshakhana case on Saturday.
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The LHC accepted bail pleas in both of the cases, but returned the pre-arrest bail applications related to two other NAB cases, saying that the same be filed in relevant court.
According to senior PTI leader Fawad Chaudhry, the LHC has barred the government from arresting Imran Khan in any new case till tomorrow, and has summoned responses from CM and IG Punjab, and CCPO Lahore in petition seeking to initiate contempt of court proceedings against them for violating LHC order and launching assault in the name of operation at Zaman Park residence.
لاہور ہائیکورٹ نے حکومت کو کل تک کسی بھی نئے مقدمے میں عمران خان کی گرفتاری سے روک دیا ہے ، زمان پارک میں عدالتی احکامات کی خلاف ورزی پر وزیراعلیٰ، IGP اور CCPO کو توپیں عدالت میں جواب دینے کا بھی کہا ہے
— Ch Fawad Hussain (@fawadchaudhry) March 21, 2023
During the course of proceedings today, Imran appeared at the rostrum and recalled the events of March 18. He said that his wife was alone at home that day, yet the police broke down the windows of his house.
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“I reached the Islamabad Toll Plaza and they attacked my house. My wife is a ba parda [modest] woman… her voice is recorded in the camera,” the PTI chief stated.
“Obstructions were set up in multiple places only so that I could not reach court,” he told the court.
“I secretly reached the court today … I came in a car that no one knows about, without any convoy,” Imran said, adding that by doing all this what message did the government give to the world.
“The only message they have given is that there is no rule of law here.”
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At that, the court instructed the government lawyer to seek directions regarding the Zaman Park operation and appear in court. “I will initiate contempt proceedings against all those who are sitting in the media and making a joke of the judiciary,” Justice Sheikh said.
He also warned that action would be taken if the respondents in the case did not respect the court. “We have to work as per the law, we only listen to what the law says,” the judge added.
