LHC refers Imran Khan’s bail petition to larger bench

LAHORE: The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan’s bail petition was on Tuesday referred to the court’s chief justice for the formation of a larger bench on the matter.

Earlier today, LHC Judge Justice Safdar Saleem Shahid reserved the verdict on Khan's petition seeking pre-arrest bail in all the cases registered against him on May 9 — the day he was arrested in Al-Qadir Trust case — and onwards.

Announcing the reserved verdict, Justice Shahid sent the PTI chief’s case to the chief justice of the provincial top court and recommended forming a larger bench to hear Khan’s petition.

Two days after his dramatic release endorsed by both the Supreme Court and Islamabad High Court, former prime minister filed the plea in the LHC fearing arrest in the new cases registered against him.

At the outset of the hearing, the court inquired where was the PTI chief today. 

Responding to the query, Khan's lawyer said that he would appear before the court by 11am. However, the PTI chief is yet to appear before the court. 

The lawyer representing Punjab's interim government opposed the bail plea contending it was inadmissible.

"Imran Khan hasn't even appeared in the court and is seeking protective bail," the lawyer maintained

At this, Khan's lawyer argued that the PTI chief wasn't seeking a protective bail. He requested the court to send the case to a larger bench.

On Tuesday, the former prime minister arrived at the high court in Lahore along with wife, Bushra Bibi, amid tight security to seek bail and details of cases registered against him from May 9 onwards — when the former prime minister's arrest and brief detention sparked days of deadly unrest.

Last week, the former prime minister was taken into custody on graft charges by paramilitary Rangers during a routine appearance at Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Tuesday (May 9).

The arrest brought his supporters onto the streets with government buildings set ablaze, roads blocked and damage to property belonging to the army, which they blame for Khan’s downfall.

On Friday, Khan was freed on bail after his detention was declared unlawful by the Supreme Court and claimed he was "treated like a terrorist".

The 70-year-old — still staggeringly popular after being ousted last April — had requested the IHC to grant him bail in cases pending under LHC in order to give him time to appear before the latter.

In his petition — submitted on Saturday — Khan stated that he has been nominated in several cases and he can be arrested in any of the case.

“I am being targeted for political revenge,” the PTI chief mentioned in the petition — in which he has made the Punjab inspector general and advocate general respondents in the case.

In the plea, Khan also sought the details of the cases registered against him in the light of countrywide protests that broke out following his arrest, as well as immunity against being detained.