“The court will issue an appropriate order today,” the CJP said
Former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan, File Photo/AFP
Former Prime Minister Imran Khan was on Thursday produced before Pakistan's Supreme Court after it ordered the country's anti-corruption watchdog, National Accountability Bureau, to bring the former cricketer-turned politician as it heard his plea against his dramatic arrest in a graft case.
The top court issued the directives as a three-member bench, comprising Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar and Justice Athar Minallah along with the CJP, heard the former prime minister’s plea against his arrest in the Al-Qadir Trust case.
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Ahead of Khan being produced before the court, security outside the court premises was beefed up.
The bench, which heard Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chairman's plea against his arrest in the Al-Qadir Trust case, expressed anger at the way Khan was taken into custody from the premises of the Islamabad High Court.
“The court will issue an appropriate order today,” the CJP said, adding that the court was “very serious” about the matter.
According to DawnNewsTV, security has been tightened outside the apex court, with contingents of the Rangers and police, and bomb disposal squads called in. Only lawyers and journalists already present in courtroom number 1 — where the hearing will be held — are allowed inside the room.
Pakistan media also reported that the Islamabad DIG (security) has reached the court to review the security situation.
Meanwhile, the PTI has asked its supporters to stay away from the top court.
At the outset of the hearing, one of Imran’s counsels, Hamid Khan, came to the rostrum and informed the apex court that his client had approached the Islamabad High Court (IHC) for pre-arrest bail, Dawn Newspaper reported.
His lawyer said that Imran was in the process of getting his biometrics done when he was arrested. “Rangers misbehaved with Imran Khan and arrested him,” the lawyer said.
CJP Bandial observed that court records showed that the case had not been fixed for hearing. The lawyer told the court that the appeal could not be filed without completing the biometric process.
Justice Minallah observed that Imran had indeed entered the court premises. “How can anyone be denied the right to justice?” he asked.
CJP Bandial said that there was a certain “respect” for the courts. Recalling a past incident, he said, “NAB had arrested a suspect from the Supreme Court’s parking [lot]. The court had then reversed the arrest.”
The CJP asked Imran’s counsel about the number of Rangers personnel who had carried out the arrest of the former premier. Imran’s lawyer responded that “100 rangers personnel entered court premises” in order to arrest the PTI chief.
“What dignity remains of the court if 90 people entered its premises? How can any individual be arrested from court premises?” he asked.
“In the past, action has been taken against lawyers for vandalism inside the court,” he observed. “If an individual has surrendered to the court, then what does arresting them mean?”
He further said that NAB had committed “contempt of court”. “They should have taken permission from the court’s registrar before the arrest. Court staffers were also subjected to abuse,” he added.
CJP Bandial emphasised that courts should be accessible to everyone for relief and that individuals should feel safe to approach the courts.
Imran’s lawyer then demanded that his client be released from NAB custody, stating that the arrest was made without an investigation officer present.
The chief justice noted that the court was currently examining the manner in which the arrest was conducted and whether contempt had taken place.
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