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Khan tells judge that NAB officials didn’t show him warrants.
ISLAMABAD: (Mudasser Chuhdary)The accountability court in Islamabad sent PTI chief Imran Khan on eight days physical remand in Al-Qadir Trust case. According to sources, Judge Muhammad Bashir presided over the hearing in which the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) requested a 14-day physical remand of PTI chief Imran Khan in connection with the corruption case.
On the other hand, PTI chairman Imran Khan is being represented by a team of lawyers including Khawaja Haris, Barrister Ali Gohar, and Advocate Ali Bukhari in the ongoing hearing of his case against the Al-Qadir University Trust in the accountability court. The Deputy Prosecutor General of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), Sardar Muzaffar Abbasi, and the Special Prosecutor, Raffique Masood, are also present in the court during the proceedings.
Meanwhile, NAB’s Prosecutor, Sardar Zulqarnain, and Investigation Officer, Mian Omar Nadeem, are also present in the court to represent NAB.
“I was given the arrest warrant after reaching the NAB office,” Imran Khan said.
Meanwhile, Imran Khan’s lawyer, Khawaja Haris, has started presenting his arguments in court, stating that the arrest of PTI chairman Imran Khan is not in accordance with the law.
Outside the Supreme Court, heavy contingents of Anti-terrorism, Eagle Squad, and Islamabad police are present. In addition, PTI leader Fawad Chaudhry, is also present in the court room, while SSP Operation also arrived at the Supreme Court with heavy contingents.
Al-Qadir Trust case hearing
At the outset of the hearing, the NAB sought a 14-day physical remand — the maximum allowed in the law — but the PTI lawyers opposed the request.
Sources told Geo News that Khan’s legal team was earlier denied permission to meet the party chief ahead of the hearing; however, once the hearing began Khan held discussions — during a hearing break — with lawyers Khawaja Haris, Faisal Chaudhry, Ali Gohar, and Ali Bukhari.
Several officials of the anti-graft watchdog including Special Prosecutor Rafay Maqsood, Deputy Prosecutor Muzaffar Abbasi, Prosecutor Sardar Zulqarnain and investigation officer Mian Umar Nadeem were present in the court.
The NAB prosecutor informed the additional sessions judge Mohammad Bashir that Khan was shown warrants at the time of arrest; however, the PTI chief denied the claims saying that he saw the arrest warrants after reaching the NAB office.
Abbasi assured the judge that all necessary documents will be provided to the PTI chief’s lawyers. The judge, taking a break, directed the legal team to hold discussions with Khan as the former complained that the authorities did not allow them to meet their client before the hearing.
When the hearing resumed after the break, Khawaja Haris argued about the legality of Khan’s arrest.
Sharing the details of the case, Abbasi said that the money was seized by the UK’s National Crime Agency and sent it back to the Government of Pakistan.
After the completion of the lawyer Haris’s argument, Khan complained that which record is the anti-graft watch dog seeking that he is not sharing with the officials.
“The NAB is saying they want to compile the records,” Khan said, questioning when did he deny access to any of the records.
The former prime minister added that all transactions were made after the approval of the cabinet. Recalling yesterday’s events, Khan urged the judges to summon his team of doctors, especially Dr Faisal.
After the defence and plaintiffs concluded their arguments, Judge Mohammad Bashir reserved the verdict which was announced after almost two hours.
Hearings held at a ‘special location’
It should be noted that Khan was not brought to a regular court in the federal capital and his scheduled hearing took place at the location where he was under custody.
The Islamabad chief commissioner on Tuesday said that Khan, instead of being taken to F-8 Court Complex and Judicial Complex G 11/4, will be presented at New Police Guest House, Police Lines — which has been given one-time status of the court for this particular hearing, a notification issued by the Government of Pakistan read.
