IHC accepts Imran pleas against dismissal of bail petitions.

ISLAMABAD  -  A special court in Islamabad on Monday summoned Pakistan Teh­reek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan and Vice Chairman Shah Mah­mood Qureshi on October 4 in ci­pher case registered under Official Secrets Act. 

Special Court’s Judge Abual Hasnat Muhammad Zulqarnain heard the case. The FIA, during the hearing, presented the case challan to the court. The judge remarked that the statements of the witnesses were enough to summon the accused. He said that the court was serving no­tice to the superintendent Adiala Jail regarding the production of two ac­cused. The court adjourned further hearing of the case till October 4.

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) Monday accepted PTI Imran Khan’s petitions challenging dismissal of his bail pleas by the trial court in nine cases. A division bench of IHC comprising Chief Justice of IHC Jus­tice Aamer Farooq and Justice Tariq Mehmood Jahangiri announced its reserved verdict in Imran’s peti­tions seeking bail three cases re­lated to the May 9 riots, three cases pertaining to the protests in Islam­abad, Toshakhana case, violation of Section 144 and one attempt to murder case.

Besides accepting Khan’s peti­tions, the bench also directed the trial courts to hold proceedings on Imran’s applications and hear the matter afresh.

Earlier, six of these bail pleas were cancelled by different district and session courts and three were re­jected by anti-terrorism courts. The trial courts had dismissed Imran’s pleas for seeking bail for not show­ing up in nine different cases. 

Then, Khan moved the high court and contended in the pleas that the authorities should be barred from arresting him in these nine cases till a final decision is not giv­en. He also stated that the courts should be instructed to decide the nine cases on merit. Imran had re­quested the IHC to direct the trial courts to hear the cases on merit and bar the authorities from ar­resting him in these cases till a fi­nal verdict is issued.