Staff Report
ISLAMABAD: A banking court in Islamabad on Thursday directed former prime minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan to appear before an investigation officer probing the prohibited funding case against his party.
During the hearing on Thursday, PTI chief’s lawyers urged the court to stop the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) from arresting Imran in the case pertaining to alleged financial irregularities involving the party including the funds received from foreign sources.
Prohibited funding case
The court issued the directives as the court announced a reserved verdict on a plea seeking an extension in Imran’s pre-arrest bail.
At the outset of the hearing, Special Prosecutor Rizwan Abbasi requested the court to reject Imran’s plea, while the petitioner’s lawyer pleaded the court to extend the pre-arrest bail for a two-week on medical grounds.
Imran’s lawyer also requested an exemption for the PTI chief from appearing in the court for Thursday’s hearing.
The special prosecutor maintained that Imran Khan has again been politically active since an assassination attack on his life a during long march rally in Wazirabad in November 2022.
The prosecutor said that Imran Khan spearheads political affairs but doesn’t appear in the case and requested the court to reject his plea for exemption from the court appearance.
He said that Imran neither appeared in a court nor joined the probe, requesting the court to direct the investigation officer to visit Imran at his Zaman Park residence in Lahore.
When asked about the reason for Imran’s elusion from investigations, his lawyer said that there were many reasons and he could not appear before the investigation officer despite “his willingness.”
He said that Imran was injured in an assassination bid and would appear before the IO as soon as doctors allowed him to do so.
At this, prosecutor Abbasi maintained that the IO could not go to Lahore for investigation.
“Imran appears on TV talk shows but not in the court,” Rizwan said while requesting the court to revoke Imran’s interim bail.
Banking Court Judge Rakhshanda Shaheen, however, turned down a request by Imran’s lawyer to interrogate his client at his Zaman Park residence in Lahore.
“An investigation officer can hold investigations wherever he wants and the court will not interfere,” the judge remarked.
The judge asked Imran’s lawyer to teel the court why Imran Khan’s interim bail should not be withdrawn.
The judge directed Imran to join the probe before the investigation officer under any circumstances.
The court adjourned the hearing till January 31.
