RAWALPINDI   -  Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan on Monday admitted that he gave the call for protests outside Pakistan’s Army General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi before his arrest.

While speaking to reporters during court hearing related to the £190 million reference, Imran Khan stated that he had called for protests outside the General Headquarters (GHQ) if arrested. “I had given a call for holding a peaceful protest outside the General Headquarters (GHQ) before my arrest,” Imran Khan said. Responding to Attaullah Tarar’s claims about his VIP jail conditions, Khan invited the media to inspect his cell, stating, “If Tarar is speaking the truth, he should come and see for himself. Let the media view my cell for two minutes.”

Police and Rangers attacked my house in Zaman Park on 14 March. “Later on March 18, the law enforcers again forcibly barged into my house,” he said, adding that on the same day, the Judicial Complex witnessed shelling inside and outside its compound.

The PTI founder also criticised the politicisation of the Toshakhana reference, alleging selective action against him while ignoring cases against Nawaz Sharif and Asif Ali Zardari.

Imran Khan attributed Pakistan’s economic crisis to mismanagement by previous governments, highlighting the significant current account deficit during the PML-N government’s tenure. Khan concluded by rejecting the idea of a technocrat setup as a solution to Pakistan’s challenges, advocating instead for transparent elections as the only remedy.

Meanwhile, an accountability court on Monday handed over jailed former PM Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi to the anti-corruption officials on a seven-day remand for further investigation into a new Toshakhana corruption case. The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) had requested a 14-day remand after completing the initial eight-day physical remand of the couple. However, the court denied the request and instructed the anti-graft body to bring the couple back to court on July 29.

Imran Khan is in the custody for nearly a year, facing charges in multiple cases including Toshakhana, cipher, and marriage cases. His wife, Bushra Bibi, has also been detained for several months.

They were arrested in a new Toshakhana case by NAB shortly after a district and sessions court in Islamabad on July 13 overturned their conviction in a case related to their marriage, which was previously the only case holding them in jail. The courts also overturned Imran Khan’s sentences in the Cipher and Toshakhana cases.

Earlier hopes for their release in July were dashed when NAB detained them again on allegations related to the sale of state gifts

The Accountability Court (AC) on Monday granted the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) a further seven-day physical remand of PTI founder Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi in new Toshakhana case.

The two accused were produced before the Accountability Court at Adiala Jail after their eight day remand was ended.

Meanwhile, Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Monday removed the objections of registrar office on a petition against the arrest of PTI founder Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi in Toshakhana case.

The court instructed the office to fix the case again for hearing. A two-judge bench comprising Chief Justice Aamer Farooq and Justice Saman Raffat Imtiaz heard the case along with the objections of the registrar office. The further hearing of the case was then adjourned till July 25. It may be mentioned here that the registrar office of IHC had objected on the petition and stated that how the case could be filed when the physical remand of the accused was already granted.