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Imran Khan finally leaves IHC premises after hours-long drama

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Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan Friday night finally left the Islamabad High Court’s (IHC) premises for his Zaman Park residence in Lahore after hours-long drama.

Khan was at the IHC for hours after he decided to stay within the court’s premises till he got a written verdict of his bail as he feared that the police might arrest him again once he got out.

“Open Islamabad’s routes within 15 minutes or I will announce my next plan of action,” Khan had told police officers stationed at the high court for security after they restricted him from leaving the court premises.

When he tried to leave the premises earlier and head towards Lahore, a police officer told Khan — a former prime minister who was ousted through a no-confidence move last year in April — that he had “orders from above” to not allow the PTI chief to leave the IHC premises.

The hearings and relief

Khan was arrested from the IHC premises by paramilitary forces on Tuesday (May 9), which triggered violent protests across the country. But the Supreme Court nullified his arrest and ordered authorities concerned to release him.

The PTI chief was at the IHC after he appeared there today on Supreme Court’s orders to seek bail in multiple cases registered against him, where he got blanket relief.

In the first relief today, a two-member special divisional bench granted two-week bail to the former prime minister in the Al-Qadir Trust corruption case, and later, the court barred authorities from arresting him till May 17 in any new case filed against him till May 9 — the day he was detained in the corruption case, which led to deadly countrywide protests.

Then, he sought transitory bail in four cases lodged against him in Lahore, in which the court awarded him bail till May 22 in the Zille Shah murder case, then, another bench barred authorities from arresting the former prime minister till the morning of May 15 in any case, no matter what their nature may be, while hearing the bail petition filed against three terrorism cases.

Intermittent aerial firing

Meanwhile, intermittent aerial firing took place around the IHC premises, prompting authorities to put security on high alert. Islamabad police’s spokesperson said no one was injured as a result of the firing.

“All police personnel are safe and search teams are investigating the matter,” he said.

The Islamabad Police also gunshots were heard at ​​H-11 on the Srinagar Highway. Apart from this, gunshots were also heard in G-10 near the IHC.

The spokesperson said that policemen came under fire in the ​​G-11 and G-13 areas. Firing also took place in the slum near Islamic University.

Police sources also attributed the intermittent aerial firing as a reason for restricting Khan within the IHC grounds.

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May 9 arsonists also attacked police on March 8 outside Zaman Park: Mohsin Naqvi

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  • Naqvi says “propaganda” being done on arrest of female PTI workers.
  • Caretaker CM says 2-year-old videos were shared on social media.
  • Punjab IG says police ready to appear before the judicial commission. 

LAHORE: Caretaker Punjab Chief Minister Mohsin Naqvi on Tuesday shared that those who attacked the police in Zaman Park on March 8 were also involved in the rioting that took place on May 9 after Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan’s arrest.

On March 8, the PTI chief planned to launch a rally in Lahore but things turned sour when the interim government-imposed Section 144 within the provincial capital. Following this, there was a clash between the police and PTI workers.

However, today CM Naqvi said that the same people that had clashed with the police on March 8 were also involved in the May 9 rioting.

On the “propaganda” being done regarding the arrest of female PTI workers, the caretaker chief executive claimed that 2-year-old videos were being shared on social media.

He also said that 32 women were arrested related to the attack on military installations in Punjab. However, 21 of those have already been released while only 11 are on judicial remand.

CM Naqvi added that nearly 500 women were involved in the May 9 incidents but the interim government avoided their arrest.

Meanwhile, Inspector General of Punjab (IGP) Police Dr Usman Anwar, while clearing the air on the arrest of female PTI workers, said that the police have videos of people getting arrested on the spot.

He further added that those involved in the May 9 mayhem uploaded videos themselves.

“Various agencies verified with their own camera system. These lists [of people involved] are complete, and action is being taken,” the police chief said. 

He also slammed the PTI for claiming he had sent his men to torch the important installations. “Whoever wants to form a judicial commission can form it we are ready to go before any judicial commission.” 

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PTI’s Shehryar Afridi re-arrested upon release from Adiala jail

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  • “Afridi was released on completion of his ‘house arrest’ period.”
  • Police officials take the PTI leader to an undisclosed location.
  • Shehryar Afridi along with his wife was picked up on May 16. 

Amid the ongoing crackdown against the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) in connection with the May 9 attacks on the civil and military installations, the party’s leader and former state minister Shehryar Afridi was re-arrested shortly after being released from Rawalpindi’s Adiala jail on Tuesday.

Afridi along with his wife was picked up on May 16 from his residence in Islamabad under Section 3 of Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) Ordinance 1960, which enables the government to arrest persons “acting in any manner prejudicial to public safety”. His wife, however, was released later on the orders of the Islamabad High Court (IHC).

Soon after his release from the jail, police officials again took him into custody and transported him to an undisclosed location.

According to the jail administration, Afridi was released on completion of his “house arrest” period under the MPO.

It is pertinent to mention here that the Rawalpindi deputy commissioner has extended Afridi’s house arrest under MPO for another 15 days.

The duo was apprehended after violent protests, triggered by the arrest of PTI chairman Imran Khan from the IHC in the Al-Qadir Trust case, erupted almost across the country.

During the days-long protests, which ended only after Khan’s release, enraged PTI workers allegedly attacked private and public properties, including military installations — the Lahore Corps Commander’s House or Jinnah House and the General Headquarters (GHQ) entrance. At least eight people lost their lives during the violent protests.

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ATC declares Zaman Park search warrant ‘ineffective’

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  • One-time search warrants are not for forever, judge says.
  • PTI chief Khan had moved ATC against search warrants.
  • He claimed LEAs secured warrants with “malicious intent”.

LAHORE: An anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Lahore Tuesday declared a police search warrant for Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan’s Zaman Park residence “ineffective”.

ATC Judge Abhar Gul Khan, while announcing the reserved verdict on the PTI chief’s plea, said one-time search warrants are not for forever.

The PTI chief had moved the court three days back against the search warrants, naming the state, commissioner of Lahore, DIG operations Lahore, SSP operations Lahore, and others as respondents.

In the plea, the PTI chief claimed that law enforcement personnel secured the warrants with “malicious intent”.

“It is most respectfully prayed that the search warrant relating to petitioner’s house situated at Zaman Park, Lahore may kindly be set-aside /cancelled/recalled being illegal, unlawful, inappropriate which lacks the requisite legal parameters for a valid warrant in the interest of justice and fair play,” he said in the plea.

Urging the court to take strict action against the respondents, Khan asked the court to deal with them severely for “their unlawful and illegal misuse of authority under the pretext of the search warrant”.

The authorities had secured the search warrants claiming that they wanted to arrest the “terrorists” present inside the PTI chief’s residence. However, when they arrived there on May 19, Khan refused to allow a search operation at his residence.

The hearing

At the outset of the hearing, the judge asked the commissioner what was the reason behind the law enforcers’ action at Zaman Park. The commissioner said his men went here to remove encroachments.

But, he noted, they had not followed up on the search warrants so far.

The judge asked the investigating officer whether he still needed the search warrants. At this, he said that he would respond to the court’s question after consulting his colleagues.

The court, after hearing arguments, had reserved the verdict.

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