ISLAMABAD    -   The Islamabad High Court (IHC) Wednesday directed Chairman Pa­kistan Tehrik-e-Insaf (PTI) Imran Khan to appear before the banking court on February 28 in the prohib­ited funding case.

A division bench of the IHC com­prising Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani and Justice Tariq Mehmood Jahangi­ri conducted the hearing of Khan’s petition wherein his lawyer sought relief from the high court in a pro­hibited funding case being heard in a banking court in Islamabad and also requested the court to allow him for his attendance through a video link in the prohibited funding case

However, the IHC bench rejected the request of Khan for attendance through video and directed him to appear before the banking court till February 28. The court also extend­ed its stay order against the verdict of the banking court on interim bail of former prime minister.

During the hearing, Khan’s lawyer Barrister Salman Safdar present­ed the fresh medical report of PTI’s chief and said that the Lahore High Court (LHC) had also granted bail to his client on basis of the medical grounds. Khan’s counsel said that a request was filed to the sessions court seeking its directions to form a medical board. He added that al­though they welcomed the medical board yet there was no need of it.

Special Public Prosecutor Rizwan Abbasi said that nine other bail pe­titions were also pending in the same case. The Federal Investiga­tion Agency (FIA) had stated that it did not require arrests to the extent of these petitioners, he said, add­ing that the banking court had con­firmed the bails of three bank em­ployees in it. The prosecutor said that the court had directed Im­ran Khan to appear before it, sub­mit surety bonds and join the in­vestigation process. He further said that the petitioner neither joined the investigation process nor he ap­peared before the relevant court.

At this, Justice Tariq Mehmood Ja­hangiri said that the trial court had given exemption from appearance to Imran Khan nine times and if the prosecution had challenged any of the order. The prosecutor said that the court had never asked PTI’s chief to reach the court through walking instead the accused was directed to at least reach outside the court. He requested the court to direct the pe­titioner to appear before the rele­vant court till February 25.

Additional Attorney General Mun­awar Dogal said that it was necessary for any petitioner to appear in per­sonal capacity to get the interim bail as per the directives of the top court. 

Justice Jahangiri said that the pe­titioner had sought just exemption from appearance and requested for some time. Justice Kayani asked that whether the Wazirabad incident was investigated and evidences were col­lected. The AAG said that the medical report of the petitioner had stated that there was swelling on his injuries. He asked for how long time this swelling would last. The PTI chairman’s coun­sel said that LHC had stated that in extraordinary situation it was enough to appear before the court once to get bail. The lawyer said that Imran Khan would appear in the baking court be­fore March 3. Later, the court direct­ed Khan to appear before the relevant court till February 28 and also barred the banking court to take decision on his bail case till that date.