PTI Chairman urges investigators to facilitate him at his Zaman Park residence n Says a new King's party will be constituted after PTI’s systematic break n Sends Rs10b defamation notice to health minister over false medical report.
LAHORE/ISLAMABAD - Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan Tuesday submitted bail bonds in four different cases, related to May-9 vandalism and hiding facts in connection with the death of Zille Shah.
Earlier, the PTI Chairman Imran Khan along with his counsel appeared before Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) Judge Ijaz Ahmad Buttar for furnishing surety bonds of Rs 100,000 each in three cases lodged for attacking Jinnah House (the corps commander house in Lahore), Askari Tower and Shadman Police Station. The guarantor, Advocate Muhammad Habib, submitted surety bonds on behalf of the PTI chairman, which were accordingly accepted by the court.
On May 19, the court had granted the interim bail till June 2 to the PTI Chairman Imran Khan in three cases registered by Sarwar Road police, Gulberg police and Shadman Town police and ordered him to furnish surety bonds of Rs 100,000 each in the cases.
The other day, the court rejected the bail bonds of Imran Khan in the cases after the guarantor showed reluctance to take responsibility for the appearance of the PTI chairman in the trial proceedings.
Meanwhile, the PTI chairman also visited the Lahore High Court (LHC) and signed the documents before deputy registrar judicial against pre-arrest interim bail granted to him in case of hiding facts about the death of Ali Bilal alias Zille Shah, a PTI worker. A guarantor, Shabir Hussain, submitted surety bonds on behalf of the PTI chairman. Justice Anwaar-ul-Haq Pannun had granted the interim bail to Imran Khan till June 2 in the case and ordered him to furnish surety bonds of Rs 100,000 for availing the relief. Sarwar Road Police had registered a case against PTI leaders over hiding facts in Ali Bilal alias Zille Shah’s death case.
‘Joint Investigation Team’
PTI leader Imran Khan Tuesday failed to appear before a joint investigation team (JIT) probing May 9 vandalism at the Lahore Corps Commander’s House, also called Jinnah House, and requested that he be facilitated at is Zaman Park residence in Lahore. The JIT had summoned the former prime minister to join the probe on Tuesday into vandalism at Jinnah House on Tuesday.
The summons notice issued by Lahore DIG (investigation) Kamran Adil, who is heading the JIT, stated: “Imran Khan is required to attend the office of the DIG Investigation to join the investigation proceedings entrusted to the JTI formed by the Punjab government.”
He was called for questioning in a case registered with the Sarwar Road police station, in which he is nominated for allegedly abetting the attackers who ransacked and set fire to Jinnah House when he was in prison. However, Imran did not join the investigation proceedings and instead submitted his reply to the notice through his lawyers, Advocates Ali Ijaz Buttar and Naeem Haider Panjhuta.
In his reply, the PTI chief said he received the notice on Monday “with very limited time to respond and reply”. He further stated that he was facing “security threats”, which were already in the JIT’s knowledge, and that he was also due to appear before an anti-terrorism court and the Lahore Court today in connection with bail bonds.
Moreover, he said attending court on important hearing was also mandatory. “Taking into account the extreme threat, security concerns, huge cost implication to state and myself, I will appreciate if I am facilitated at Zaman Park residence on any date/time of your convenience,” the reply read. Reportedly, JIT refused to accept Imran Khan’s written reply in connection with the May 9 riots investigation. PTI chairman and other party leaders were accused of inciting workers to violence which led to attacks on defence and public installations in many parts of the country during the three-day-long protests.
Also, PTI Chairman Imran Khan Tuesday skipped hearing before a local court of Islamabad in a case pertaining to rioting and vandalising public property during his party’s march. Civil Judge Ahtisham Alam heard the case against Irran Khan and other accused registered by the Golra Police Station.
Imran Khan’s counsel Barrister Gohar Ali requested the grant his client a one-time exemption from appearance as he could not attend the proceedings due to security issues.
The court accepted the request and extended Imran Khan’s interim bail till June 13. However, it issued bailable arrest warrants of the co-accused due to non-appearance.
‘I AM READY FOR TALKS’
Imran Khan Tuesday claimed that judges of the superior judiciary were also receiving calls from the unknown numbers to put them under pressure in the wake of serious violations of human rights.
“I am aware that my superior judiciary is under immense pressure because judges too are receiving phone calls from unknown numbers and being threatened.”, he said in a televised address to the party supporters from his Zaman Park residence here.
Imran Khan stated that he was also aware that all institutions of the country were being used to systematically break the PTI. He alleged that the government had inserted Gullu Butts among police who were under pressure by unknown people and were being forced into doing what they were doing. He said that FIA closed the ‘open and shut money laundering case’ against Shehbaz Sharif and now it’s only task was to find the cases against PTI leaders.
The PTI chairman alleged that since the resignation of the former chairman of NAB, the only task of the accountability bureau was to use it to eliminate the PTI. “I said earlier that I am ready for talks, if only you explain to me what is the roadmap and where we want to go. The road map so far I understand is that a new King’s Party will be constituted and then the seats of PML-N and PPP will be divided because the votes of PML-N and PPP are almost diminished to form a coalition government,” he observed.
Talking about the May 9 riots, Imran Khan stated that the reaction was natural to protest outside military installations given the way he was abducted by the army. He alleged that women were being traced through geo-fencing, as an innocent female lawyer was picked up at 3 o’clock in the morning.
“It is for the first — going by the reports we received from jails — that the majority of police are unhappy with what they are being made to do. The majority of police believe that cruelty is being inflicted,” he added.
He said the cabal of crooks had unleashed a reign of terror. He said nobody could have imagined of stooping to this level in Pakistan’s politics, as PTI’s workers were not only being subjected to worst torture but were threatened that women from their house would be taken away. The PTI chairman said that the fascist government crossed all limits of barbarism and cruelty, as there was no prior example of exerting this kind of pressure on any political party in the country.
Imran Khan said that ten thousand people, workers and supporters of ours were thrown in jail and many of them, including party leaders, were tortured due to continuing to stand with the party. He highlighted that party leaders were being tortured just because they gave statements that “they were standing with the party”.