IHC to hear today Imran’s plea on fears of arrest during Eid days

ISLAMABAD: After Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan approached the Islamabad High Court over fears of being arrested during the Eidul Fitr holidays, the IHC’s registrar office on Wednesday fixed April 20 as the date to hear his petition.

Khan’s petition, submitted through his counsel Faisal Chaudhry earlier Wednesday, will be heard by Chief Justice Aamer Farooq today (Thursday).

In his petition, the PTI chief has shared fears that he could be arrested during his arrival in Islamabad, asking the court to subject his arrest in any case to judicial permission. The plea has also requested the court to order details of all cases registered against the PTI chief at police stations across Islamabad. The court should also order the provision of information regarding a case filed in secret, the petition read.

“It has been learned that the federal government wants to arrest me during the Eid holidays. It is planning an attack on the Zaman Park residence in Lahore,” Khan stated in his plea, adding that the arrest during the holidays should be subject to judicial permission. Khan, in his petition, has added the Federation as a party through the home secretary, inspector-general of police and director general Federal Investigation Agency (FIA).

“Since the regime change, the parties have been harassing Imran Khan at the behest of Pakistan Democratic Movement [PDM],” the plea mentioned.

It added that the former prime minister, who was voted out of office after a no-confidence motion a year ago, has been raising his voice against corruption, which was why he was being harassed.

“Cases have been filed against Imran Khan across the country,” the petition read.

A day earlier, the Lahore High Court (LHC) fixed May 2 as the date to hear Khan’s plea seeking the details of cases registered against him and the possibility of a police operation by the government at his Zaman Park residence in Lahore during the Eid holidays. The provincial top court refrained authorities from harassing the former premier and ordered that Khan should be treated according to the law as per the assurance given by the Punjab government’s lawyer.