Supreme Court of Pakistan on Thursday declares Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chief Imran Khan’s arrest “illegal” by NAB in the Al-Qadir Trust case.
The three-member bench comprising Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar and Justice Athar Minallah in the supervision of CJP Umar ata Bandial, while hearing the former prime minister’s plea against his arrest in the Al-Qadir Trust case, termed Imran Khan’s arrest by Rangers from inside courtroom “illegal” and ordered his immediate release.
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The Top court also ordered the PTI chief to appear in Islamabad High Court tomorrow for his case hearing.
Today’s Hearing
In today’s hearing, Ex- premier’s lawyer Hamid Khan informed the court that Imran Khan had come to IHC in order to secure an extension in his interim bail. When the PTI chief was getting his verification done, Rangers personnel broke into the room.
“Rangers misbehaved with Imran Khan and arrested him,” he added.
At this, CJP Bandial inquired about the case in which Imran Khan was seeking the bail extension.
On this point, Justice Athar Minallah inquired if a plea can be filed before the bio-metric verification is conducted.
At this, the lawyer said that Imran Khan went for Bio-metric verification because a plea cannot be filed before that.
“Why did NAB take the law in its hand? It would have been better for NAB to seek permission from IHC registrar,” Justice Minallah asked.
Meanwhile, the CJP asked the number of personnel who arrested Imran Khan.
At this, Imran Khan’s lawyer Salman Safdar informed the court that 80-100 men were there to arrest the PTI chief.
“What was left of the honour of the court when 90 people entered the court premises. NAB has disrespected the court,” CJP Bandial said, adding that no one would feel safe inside a court anymore.
“No one can be arrested from the high court, Supreme Court or accountability court. Imran Khan’s arrest violated the judicial sanctity,” he added.
He remarked that permission should be taken from the Registrar IHC before arrest from the court premises.
The top judge remarked NAB disgraced the judiciary by arresting Imran Khan from the court premises.
Justice Athar Minallah in his remarks said NAB has been doing such acts for many years. NAB had been arresting elected representatives with disgrace.
This is not the way to respect the court, Justice Minallah added. NAB has not learned any lessons from the past.
After hearing arguments, Supreme court orders IG Islamabad and relative authorities to present Imran khan in court within an hour.
Imran Khan appeared before Court
PTI Chief and Ex-Premier Imran Khan presented about at 5:40pm before the Supreme Court three member bench.
“It is good seeing you,” CJP Umar Ata Bandial told Imran Khan when he was presented before the three-member bench, and also asked him to “condemn” the violent protests that took place as a result of the arrest.
In response, the PTI chief forwarded a message to his supporters via media presented at that time in court that they should refrain from damaging public and private property.
“I don’t want any loss in the country nor do I wish for people to get incited. I just want free and fair elections,” the PTI chief told the court, pleading with the court that despite his responding to the National Accountability Bureau’s (NAB) notices, he was arrested.
In response to the court’s question about whether he knew what was going on in Pakistan, To which Imran Khan said his mobile phone was taken away and he was unaware about what was happening in the country.
Then the PTI chief requested the CJP to send him home, but the top judge said he was not going to do that and assured him that he would “remain at peace at the Police Lines Guest House”.
“You can stay there, talk, rest, and then present yourself before the Islamabad High Court tomorrow,” CJP Umar Ata Bandial told Imran Khan. The Top Judge then directed authorities to allow Imran Khan to meet as many as 10 people including his lawyers, friends, and family members.
After the having conversation with Imran Khan, Supreme Court three member declare the PTI Chief arrest by Rangers from inside courtroom “illegal” in the Al-Qadir Trust case and ordered his immediate release.
High Court terms Khan’s Arrest Legal
Earlier The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has termed the arrest of former premier and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan ‘legal’ in the Al-Qadir Trust case.
IHC Chief Justice Aamer Farooq — who had raised questions over the Rangers’ move to arrest Khan from the court’s premises earlier in the day — announced the reserved verdict.
The IHC also issued notices to the Islamabad inspector general of Islamabad police and the interior secretary over contempt of court.
The chief justice ordered the high court registrar to get a first information report (FIR) registered over the circumstances of the arrest, which included manhandling the lawyers present nearby as well as damage to the court building.
The NAB officials said that they wrote a letter to the interior ministry for the PTI chief’s arrest. The IHC CJ remarked that nobody is above the law. He added lawyers sustained wounds due to the chaos in the high court.
He also instructed the registrar to conduct an inquiry and submit a report by 16th May.
PTI filed Plea in SC
PTI had filed a petition in the Supreme Court, challenging the Islamabad High Court’s (IHC) decision calling party chief Imran Khan’s arrest by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) “legal”.
Terming the judgment ‘full of flaws’, Imran Khan termed the arrest warrants issued by the NAB ‘illegal’ and added that he did not receive notice of transforming the inquiry into the investigation.
The amount which is being termed as corruption by the NAB is already deposited into the Supreme Court’s account and the government can transfer it anywhere it wants from there, the plea stated.
Imran Khan Arrest
Former prime minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Imran Khan arrested by NAB and taken into custody by Rangers from the premises of Islamabad High Court (IHC) in the Al-Qadir Trust Case.
The PTI chief was taken into custody in the Al-Qadir Trust case by Rangers from Islamabad High Court where the former premier had gone to seek bail in multiple FIRs registered against him. The former prime minister was taken in black Vigo and shifted to NAB office Rawalpindi by the law enforcement agency.
According to reports, the PTI chairman was going for biometric at the IHC when he was taken into custody. The NAB officials had arrest warrants.
Al-Qadir Trust case
The Ex-Premier, along with his wife Bushra Bibi and other PTI leaders, are facing a NAB inquiry related to a settlement between the PTI government and a property tycoon, which reportedly caused a loss of 190 million pounds to the national exchequer.
As per the charges, the Imran Khan and others accused allegedly adjusted Rs50 billion — 190 million pounds at the time — sent by Britain’s National Crime Agency (NCA) to the government.
They are also accused of getting undue benefit in the form of over 458 kanals of land at Mouza Bakrala, Sohawa, to establish Al Qadir University.
