Lahore High Court Accepts Bail Requests Against Physical Remand of PTI Founder Imran Khan in 12 Cases

Lahore:the Lahore High Court has accepted requests against the physical remand of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan in 12 cases related to terrorism dating back to May 9. The court heard pleas challenging the physical remand in the cases of terrorism filed against Imran Khan by various investigation officers from across Punjab.
Prosecutor General Punjab, Farhad Ali Shah, stated that PTI founder had written confirming that he did not undergo various tests including polygraph, emphasizing the necessity of conducting these tests to ascertain the veracity of his statements. Justice Tariq Saleem Sheikh questioned the prosecutor general regarding the possibility of conducting investigations during bail.
Salman Safdar, counsel for PTI founder, provided evidence that Imran Khan was not on bail in several cases. Justice Anwar-ul-Haq Pannu remarked that according to the military law, immediate action should have been taken as soon as the case was filed, regardless of bail. He questioned why Imran Khan was not arrested despite being imprisoned, and why no action was taken in these cases even after a year.
Justice Tariq Saleem Sheikh also asked why the physical remand was sought, to which no answer was given. The court highlighted the importance of timing regarding Imran Khan’s arrest and why action was not taken earlier. The Prosecutor General Punjab referred to Imran Khan’s tweets and stated that a comprehensive statement was prepared based on May 9.
Justice Tariq Anwar-ul-Haq Pannu observed that such statements are still being made by politicians today, but more threats are being issued to judges nowadays. The Prosecutor General Punjab emphasized that the authenticity of mobile phones and WhatsApp messages cannot be established without investigation. Justice Anwar-ul-Haq Pannu questioned how the mobile could be recorded when the accused was in jail, and the investigating officer could not take the accused anywhere.
After the Prosecutor General Punjab, Farhad Ali Shah, completed his arguments, the Lahore High Court dismissed the physical remand applications against PTI founder Imran Khan in 12 cases of terrorism, declaring the decision to grant physical remand null and void. The High Court also declared the attendance of PTI founder’s video link as non-existent.