Court warns PTI leader of pre-arrest bail cancellation after he skips hearing n Chief Justice asks why Imran submitting medical reports of private hospital n Sometimes there is an excuse of security threat and sometimes there is pain in leg: Justice Miangul Hassan.

ISLAMABAD    -    The Islamabad High Court (IHC) Wednesday expressed displeasure over non-appear­ance of Pakistan Tehreek-e-In­saf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan and warned that the court would cancel his interim bail if he failed to appear to­morrow (today). 

Chief Justice Aamer Farooq heard the case filed by for­mer prime minister Imran Khan for bail in nine FIRs per­taining incitement against the state institutions and creat­ing riot and vandalizing in ju­dicial complex Islamabad. As the hearing began, the chief justice inquired about the atten­dance of Imran Khan.

To this, the lawyer informed the court that he could not arrive as an application for one-time exemption from appearance had filed. Expressing annoyance, the chief justice asked that where was the application adding that the petitioner had been making fun of the courts. The court de­clared that it would terminate the interim bail of the petition­er if he did not appear within the court timing. 

After a recession in hearing, Imran Khan’s lawyer Salman Safdar Advocate argued that his client had appeared in person­al capacity before the Lahore High Court (LHC) on last day de­spite his attendance was not re­quired. He said that Imran Khan had to go to the Shaukat Kha­num Hospital Tuesday evening due to swelling in his leg. He had received medical certificate at 11:00pm last night and X-Ray in this morning, the lawyer said. The chief justice observed that the petitioner had neither ap­peared before the court nor he had joined investigation. 

“If the court ignores the at­tendance of Imran Khan then what was the answer regard­ing non-joining of investigation, he asked. Barrister Salman Saf­dar said that the application on medical grounds had been filed first time before this bench. 

He said that an injury took time to be hailed at the age of 71. The chief justice observed that the petitioner was submit­ting medical report of a private hospital despite medical report from a government hospital was required in such cases. Jus­tice Farooq said that the other member of this bench wanted to dispose of the bail case after approving one-week protec­tive bail. There was no exemp­tion from appearance in the law in pre-arrest bail cases, he ob­served, adding that a question was also raised in last hearing that whether a common citizen could get such relief.

Justice Miangul Hassan noted sometimes there was an excuse of security threat and some­times there was a pain in the leg. 

The petitioner did not appear before the court in four hearing, he said, adding that another ac­cused could come with this or­der to claim the relief.

The lawyer said that 140 FIRs were registered against his cli­ent within three months, adding that this was an extraordinary situation. 

The chief justice remarked that the court would not hear arguments in the absence of the accused and warned that it would cancel the interim bail if the accused did not appear even tomorrow. 

However, the lawyer prayed the court to grant a date for four to five days.

Advocate General Barrister Ja­hangir Jadoon argued that the medical report was submitted from a private hospital which was being owned by the peti­tioner. The accused would not be able to recover in six months in this way, he said. 

The chief justice remarked that the law was very clear and subsequently the bench extended the interim bail of Imran Khan till today. Im­ran Khan’s lawyer assured the court that his client would ap­pear in personal capacity to­morrow in every condition. The further hearing on the bails petitions in nine FIRs was then adjourned till today.