Prohibited funding case: Islamabad banking court summons Imran Khan on Feb 28

ISLAMABAD: A banking court in Islamabad on Saturday summoned Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan to appear before it on February 28 in connection with the prohibited funding case. 

A case of prohibited funding against the PTI chief — who was ousted in April 2022 through a no-confidence move — and other party leaders was heard at the banking court under the Foreign Exchange Act.

Khan’s lawyer, Naeem Panjutha, appeared before the court of Judge Rukhshanda Shaheen.

The lawyer told the judge that the Islamabad High Court (IHC) had decided that Khan should appear before the banking court on February 28.

On behalf of Khan, he also submitted a copy of the IHC’s decision to the banking court.

The court, in the light of the high court’s decision, ordered the PTI chief to appear before it on February 28 and adjourned the hearing till then.

Earlier this month, a division bench of the IHC rejected the former prime minister’s request to attend the hearing through a video link and directed him to appear before the banking court in person on February 28.

Later, the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) submitted an application in the banking court, requesting the formation of a medical board at either the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) Hospital or the Polyclinic Hospital in Islamabad for Khan’s medical examination. The medical report of this board should be considered in court, the FIA requested.

“Imran Khan has orthopaedic problems but is submitting a medical report issued by a cancer hospital,” the FIA said, also taking issue with the fact that the hospital from where the reports had been issued was headed by the former prime minister himself.

“These medical reports cannot be considered reliable,” the application said, asking instead that Khan undergo a medical examination from either PIMS or the Polyclinic Hospital, which would be considered more reliable.

The investigation agency also claimed that Khan was not cooperating with it regarding investigations and added that the PTI chief’s plea to extend bail was still pending in the banking court.

It said the PTI chief has been taking “unfair advantage of his interim bail”, and has consistently failed to appear in court since being granted the interim bail.