ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Tuesday termed arrest of former premier and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan from the court’s premises ‘legal’ and issued contempt court notices to Interior Secretary and IG Islamabad Police.
The high court also issued instructions to the registrar to lodge an FIR, and submit a report on the inquiry by May 16.
Islamabad High Court (IHC) Chief Justice Aamer Farooq issued the verdict reserved earlier on a petition challenging Imran Khan’s arrest. Director General (DG) National Accountability Bureau (NAB) and the prosecutor general appeared before the high court.
During hearing, the NAB officials informed the court that they had written a letter to the interior ministry for the arrest of the PTI chief in Al-Qadir Trust case. The IHC CJ remarked that nobody is above the law and pointed to injuries lawyers sustained during chaos created during arrest of Imran Khan on the high court’s premises.
The IHC CJ further remarked that the court is ascertaining legality of Imran Khan’s arrest whether it is legal or illegal. “What law allows the authorities to arrest someone from the high court’s premises?
Justice Farooq had directed the officials to inform the court immediately about who was behind the arrest and in what case the PTI chief had been arrested in. The judge maintained that action would be taken, “even if it has to be taken against ministers”.
Earlier, the Islamabad High Court summoned the Director General and Prosecutor of the National Accountability Bureau after the former prime minister’s arrest from the high court premises.
Justice Farooq directed the govt to inform the court immediately who was behind the arrest and in what case has Imran been arrested in.
It is to be noted that former prime minister and PTI chief Imran Khan was arrested by the Rangers paramilitary force at the Islamabad High Court earlier Tuesday in a dramatic turn of events that threatened fresh turmoil in the country.
Video broadcast on local TV channels showed Khan – who has a pronounced limp since being shot during an assassination attempt last year – being manhandled by dozens of paramilitary rangers into an armoured car inside the Islamabad High Court premises.
“As we reached the court’s biometric room to mark the attendance, dozens of rangers attacked us,” said Ali Bukhari, a lawyer with Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party.
According to the NAB notice, Khan’s warrants were issued on May 1 by NAB chairman Lt-Gen (r) Nazir Ahmad Butt.
Taking to Twitter, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah said that Imran had failed to appear before the court despite being issued several notices to him in the inquiry.
“The arrest has been conducted by the National Accountability Bureau for causing losses to the national treasury,” he said.
According to initial reports, the PTI chairman has been taken to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) office in Rawalpindi.
