ISLAMABAD: PTI leader and lawyer Babar Awan on Wednesday said that former prime minister Imran Khan would approach an anti-terrorism court (ATC) in person tomorrow (Aug 25) for bail in the terrorism case registered against him by the government.
Last week, a first investigation report (FIR) was registered against the PTI chairman at the Margalla police station under Section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act (punishment for acts of terrorism) regarding his comments at the party’s Islamabad rally on Aug 20.
Subsequently, on Monday, Imran approached the Islamabad High Court where a two-member bench comprising Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani and Justice Babar Sattar, granted him protective bail till Aug 25.
In a video message shared on PTI’s Twitter, Awan said that Imran had chaired a meeting of the party’s legal committee earlier today in which it was decided that an application seeking the ex-prime minister’s bail would be filed in an ATC in the capital.
“Imran Khan will go there himself,” the lawyer clarified, claiming that both the local and international media had been asking about the matter.
“This fake case […] in which there was neither a blast nor a Kalashnikov used […] and the police built up charges of terrorism, destroying Pakistan’s narrative developed over the last 20 years against terrorism.”
Awan further said that the international media, human rights activists, and even the United Nations had expressed concern over the matter. “God willing, we will all go together tomorrow,” he added.
Previously, in an interview with Geo TV, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah had said that the government would try and get Imran’s bail rejected.
“We will ensure that he is arrested from the court,” he had said. “And I believe that the court will conduct a thorough inquiry against him for threatening the sessions court judge.”
Another case
The Islamabad police has registered a case against former prime minister Imran Khan and other top leaders of the PTI for violations of Section 144 (ban on public gatherings exceeding four persons) in the capital on August 20 — the day the party held a rally to protest against incarcerated member Shahbaz Gill’s arrest.
The first information report (FIR), a copy of which is available with Dawn.com, was registered on August 22 at the Aabpara police station under sections 109 (punishment of abetment if the Act abetted committed In consequence and where no express provision is made for its punishment), 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant), 186 (obstructing public servant in discharge of public functions), 341 (punishment for wrongful restraint), and 506 (punishment for criminal intimidation) of the Pakistan Penal Code.
The complaint, filed by Assistant Sub Inspector (ASI) Muhammad Anwar, also included section 2 (restriction on the use of loudspeakers) of the Control of Loudspeaker and Sound Amplifiers Act, 1965.
Murad Saeed, Faisal Javed Khan, Sheikh Rashid Ahmed, Asad Umar, Raja Khurram Nawaz, Ali Nawaz Awan, Faisal Vawda, Shahzad Wasim, Sadaqat Ali Abbasi, Shibli Faraz, Fawad Chaudhry, Saifullah Khan Niazi, Shehryar Afridi, Fayyazul Hasan Chohan, Firdous Shamim Naqvi, Asad Qaiser, Zaheer Abbas Khokar and Major Ghulam Sarwar were the other PTI leaders nominated in the FIR.
According to the complaint, approximately 1,000 to 1,200 PTI supporters had gathered near Islamabad’s Zero Point Interchange “on orders of Imran” and carrying the party’s flags.
“They were chanting slogans demanding Shahbaz Gill’s release,” the ASI said, alleging that they “scared and threatened” the residents by blocking the road.
He stated that commuters were stopped from passing through the area, which disrupted their daily activities. “The rally’s participants, while using loud speakers, chanted anti-government slogans.”
The FIR added that during the rally, the Islamabad police had made announcements via loud speakers that Section 144 had been imposed in the city and a ban had been imposed on rallies.
However, it went on, the PTI leaders turned a deaf ear to the police and led the supporters to the F-9 park, all the while sloganeering on loud speakers.
Last week, Imran had urged the public to take to the streets against Gill’s arrest and the revoking of the license of ARY News. Soon after, the police had imposed Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure.
However, despite the restrictions, a large number of residents had come out to attend the rally led by the PTI chief. The procession had started from Zero Point and reached F-9 Park, where Imran addressed his supporters.