A two-member special division bench takes up Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan’s bail plea a day after Supreme Court termed former prime minister’s arrest in the Al-Qadir Trust case “unlawful”.
Khan arrived in a high-security convoy at Islamabad High Court, where hundreds of police and paramilitary troops have been deployed.
He was taken for his biometrics immediately after reaching court and will now appear before a two-member bench seeking bail in Al-Qadir Trust case.
IHC Chief Justice Aamer Farooq has formed a “special division bench” which comprises Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb, Justice Saman Rafat Imtiaz to hear Khan’s bail plea.
“We are hopeful that bail will be granted by the High Court,” Faisal Hussain Chaudhry, a lawyer for Khan told reporters.
A day earlier, contrary to the IHC — which termed PTI chief’s arrest “legal”, a three-member bench of the Supreme Court deemed Khan’s arrest from the premises of the high court “illegal”, directing him to appear before the IHC today (Friday).
“The manner of execution of the arrest warrant issued by the Chairman, National Accountability Bureau (NAB) dated 01.05.2023 in the Al-Qadir Trust case within the premises of the Islamabad High Court against the petitioner is invalid and unlawful,” the ruling said.
Khan was arrested from the IHC premises by paramilitary forces on Tuesday (May 9), which triggered violent protests across the country. The former prime minister had immediately approached the court for release but it had declared his arrest legal.
Since being ousted from office last April, Khan has waged a tempestuous campaign for snap elections and fired unprecedented criticism at the coalition government and military who he blames for pulling him from power.
He has accused senior military and government officials of plotting a November assassination attempt that saw him shot in the leg during a rally.
