The accountability court of Islamabad has approved PTI Chairman Imran Khan’s bail in the 190 million pound Al-Qadir Trust case.
Imran Khan appeared before Judge Muhammad Bashir of the accountability court. The bail was approved in exchange for submission of bail bonds worth Rs500,000
The PTI chief appeared before the accountability court on the instructions of the Islamabad High Court. The IHC had ordered Imran to approach the court concerned within three days.
Earlier, the IHC extended the PTI chief’s interim bail in the case till June 3. The PTI chairman’s legal team had sought an extension till June 8, which was rejected by the court.
A division bench comprising Justice Miangul Hasan Aurangzeb and Justice Saman Riffat conducted the hearing.
The bench extended Imran’s interim bail for three days, and ordered him to refer to the accountability court over expiry of the period.
Upon not referring to the court concerned, the interim bail will stand invalid.
Speaking to the media informally in the courtroom, the former premier claimed he floated the offer for talks to stabilize the country’s economy.
He further said there is no other option except election right now.
Imran also alleged that the establishment and the government were the same thing, as the establishment was running the government.
To a question if President Arif Alvi does not respond to him, the PTI chief refuted the reports, saying it is not true the two are not in touch.
He also said they had talked to former army chief Gen (retd) Qamar Bajwa also about elections. He added he was cooperating with the teams probing all the cases against him.
Declaring the PTI a terrorist party is an attempt to keep it out of elections, Imran alleged, adding his people were being blackmailed through all kinds of means.
Earlier in the day, Imran Khan had left his Zaman Park residence in Lahore to appear before the National Accountability Bureau’s Rawalpindi office and Islamabad High Court in various cases. Imran Khan is also accompanied by a team of lawyers.
Protective bail for Imran
Meanwhile, the Islamabad High Court also granted a 10-day protective bail to Imran Khan in cases registered in seven police stations of the capital.
The court ordered the PTI chairman to refer to the court concerned in seven cases in 10 days. IHC’s Justice Miangul Hasan Aurangzeb issued the orders. Imran Khan had submitted a plea against arrest in cases registered after the May 9 violent incidents.
The court ordered against arresting Imran Khan for 10 days. A list of six cases filed after May 9 was also submitted to the court.
Bushra Bibi’s bail plea infructuous
On the other hand, the Islamabad accountability court has declared infructuous the bail petition of Bushra Bibi over her arrest warrant not being issued in the 190 million pound Al-Qadir Trust case.
The former first wife appeared in the court of accountability judge Muhammad Bashir along with her husband Imran Khan.
Her lawyer Khawaja Haris told the court that the NAB did not send even a single notice for joining the investigation and converted the inquiry into an investigation.
Bushra Bibi went to the NAB office with her husband on orders.
Deputy Prosecutor General Sardar Muzaffar said Imran Khan made unethical statements on May 13 against the NAB chairman, did false propaganda against the bureau.
Imran Khan said the NAB issued arrest warrant for Bushra Bibi, he said, adding this is dishonesty to pressurize the bureau. He claimed the bureau did not conduct a raid nor did they attack.
No arrest warrant was issued for Bushra Bibi, he said, adding she is a suspect and should cooperate with the bureau.
