LAHORE - An anti-terrorism court (ATC) on Friday dismissed the interim bail of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan over non-appearance in seven cases pertaining to May-9 vandalism.
ATC Judge Ijaz Ahmad Buttar conducted the proceedings on the pre-arrest bail petitions of Imran Khan in seven cases, registered under Anti-Terrorism Act, including the Jinnah House attack case.
Earlier, Imran Khan’s counsel argued before the court that bail petitions could not be dismissed over non-appearance. He submitted that as per the Supreme Court judgments, the bail petitions could not be dismissed on technical grounds. He pleaded with the court to grant some time for preparation in this regard. However, the court dismissed the plea and asked the counsel to advance his arguments on the law point. The counsel submitted that convicts and accused were regularly produced on the court orders and pleaded with the court to summon the PTI chairman as well.
At this, the court observed that the convicts were not produced and their interim bail was also dismissed, adding that it could not form a new law. The counsel submitted that the PTI chairman appeared regularly before the court and he still wanted to appear. To which, the court noted that when Imran Khan was free, he did not come to the court. At this stage, Special Prosecutor Farhad Ali Shah opposed the plea for summoning the PTI chairman, adding that there was no reason to adjourn the court proceedings for an interim bail. He submitted that there was no legal method under which a convict could be produced for an interim bail. If the conviction was suspended, then the accused would be entitled to the interim bail, he added. He pleaded with the court to dismiss the interim bail. The court, after hearing detailed arguments of the parties, reserved its verdict for some time. Later, the court announced the verdict and dismissed interim bail of the PTI chairman in the cases, besides dismissing an application for exemption from personal appearance.
