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Court orders Imran Khan to appear before investigation officer in prohibited funding case

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  • Banking court judge reserves verdict on Khan’s plea for extension in pre-arrest bail.
  • Turns down Khan’s request to be interrogated at his Zaman Park residence in Lahore.
  • Says investigation officer can hold interrogation wherever and however he wants.

A banking court in Islamabad on Thursday directed Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan to ensure his presence before the investigation officer (IO) in the prohibited funding case being pursued against his party.

In the bail plea, the PTI chief’s lawyers had urged the court to stop the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) from arresting Khan in the case pertaining to financial irregularities in the party’s funding.

Today, the directive was issued as the court announced a reserved verdict on Khan’s plea for an extension in pre-arrest bail.

At the outset of the hearing, Special Prosecutor Rizwan Abbasi requested the court to reject the former premier’s plea, while the petitioner’s lawyer asked the court to give a two-week extension on medical grounds.

Khan’s lawyer also requested an exemption for the PTI chief to appear before the court for today’s hearing.

The prosecutor maintained that Khan has been politically active since the assassination bid on his life during PTI’s long march rally in Wazirabad in November.

“He is running the political affairs but doesn’t appear in the court,” Abbasi said while requesting the court to reject his plea for exemption.

He claimed that Khan neither appeared in the court nor joined the probe, asking the court to tell the investigation officer to visit the PTI chief at his Zaman Park residence in Lahore. 

When asked about the reason for Khan’s absence from investigations, his lawyer said that there were many reasons he couldn’t appear before the investigation officer despite “his willingness”.

He said that Khan was injured in an assassination bid and he would appear before IO as soon as the doctors allow him.

At this, prosecutor Abbasi maintained that the investigation officer could not go to Lahore for interrogation.

“Imran Khan appears on TV but not in the courts,” Rizwan said while requesting the court to take back the decision of Khan’s interim bail. 

Judge Rakhshanda Shaheen turned down the request by Khan’s lawyer to interrogate the former premier at his Zaman Park residence in Lahore.

“The investigation officer can hold investigations wherever and however he wants, the court will not interfere,” the judge remarked.

Meanwhile, the judge asked Khan’s lawyer to assist the court with why shouldn’t it withdraw the interim bail.

She directed Khan to join the probe to ensure his presence before the IO under any circumstances and adjourned the hearing till January 31.

FIA kickstarts investigation in prohibited funding case

FIA kickstarted its countrywide investigation into the utilisation of funds from “prohibited” sources by PTI after an Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) ruling that the party secured illegal donations, in August 2022.

On August 2, 2022, the ECP in a unanimous verdict said it had found that the PTI received prohibited funding.

The commission found that donations were taken from America, Australia, Canada and the UAE.

The case — earlier referred to as a “foreign funding” case — was filed in November 2014 when the party’s founding member Akbar S Babar alleged gross financial irregularities in the party’s funding from both Pakistan and abroad. 

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Fazlur Rehman wants new elections to be held.

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Speaking to a crowd in Karachi, Maulana Fazlur Rehman claimed that meetings were “sold.” “President House and the Sindh Assembly were also sold,” he continued.

The head of JUI-F insisted on holding fresh elections right away in order to preserve the integrity of the democratic process.

He went on, “The results of the most recent elections are unacceptable and they were rigged.” In order to guarantee that the people’s opinion is heard and their mandate is honored, the JUI-chief called for new elections.

Additionally, Maulana Fazlur Rehman criticized the federal government’s foreign policy, including its position on Israel and Palestine. He declared, “We are being punished for standing with Palestine and against Israel.”

Speaking before a public assembly in Karachi, Maulana Fazlur Rehman asserted that gatherings were “sold”. He added, “Sindh Assembly and President House were sold.”

In order to safeguard the democratic process, the chairman of JUI-F asked that new elections be held immediately.

“It’s unacceptable that the results of the recent elections were rigged,” he stated. The JUI-chief demanded fresh elections in order to give the people’s voice a chance to be heard and their mandate to be respected.

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In the Toshakhana case, the PTI founder contests the NAB notification.

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The Islamabad High Court (IHC) was asked to set aside the NAB notice in a plea submitted by Imran Khan’s representatives, Salman Safdar, Usman Riaz, and Khalid Yousaf, according to the information.

Regarding the Toshakhana issue, NAB Rawalpindi called the PTI founder, who is detained, and his spouse, Bushra Bibi, on April 16.

Bushra Bibi, the former first lady of Pakistan, and Imran Khan, the founder of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), were the subject of a new investigation by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) yesterday.

In a letter to the deputy superintendent of Adiala Jail and call-up notices to Imran and Bushra, the anti-graft body also asked for their attendance during the research.

Case of Toshakhana
In the Toshakhana case, an Accountability Court (AC) on January 31 imposed a 14-year prison sentence on the founder of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and his spouse, Bushra Bibi.

AC Judge Muhammad Bashir delivered the decision. For ten years, the founder of PTI and his spouse were likewise prohibited from holding any public office.

A Rs. 787 million fine was also imposed by the judge.

Prior to this, in connection with the cipher case, Khan and his foreign minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi received 10-year prison sentences under the Official Secrets Act.

In a case concerning their marriage during the latter’s Iddat period, they were each given seven years in prison one day later.

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US Ambassador Donald Blome praises Maryam’s portrayal of the Chief Minister of Punjab.

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According to information, Maryam Nawaz was congratulated by the US envoy on being the first female Chief Minister of Punjab during their meeting.

America’s goal to deepen economic relations with Pakistan, especially in the areas of manufacturing, IT, and agriculture, was conveyed by Ambassador Bloom. Maryam’s people-oriented efforts and initiatives were commended by him, who called them “commendable”.

The ambassador received assurances from Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz that Punjab will offer a safe haven for US investment. She emphasised that a stable administration is essential to guiding Pakistan out of its economic crisis and welcomed US engagement in a number of areas.

The Chief Minister also emphasised how her government’s economic initiatives had reduced inflation.

That Maryam Nawaz and Donald Bloome are meeting for the second time is worth mentioning. It was before to her election as Punjab’s Chief Minister that the first meeting was held.

At Maryam Nawaz’s home in Murree, Senior Vice President of the Pakistan Muslim League-N, Donald Blome, the US Ambassador to Pakistan, had a meeting.

They talked on the value of cooperation in a number of sectors, including as commerce, the economy, security, peace, and regional stability, according to the details.

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