F.P. Report
ISLAMABAD: An anti-terrorism court in Islamabad on Thursday granted interim bail to former prime minister and PTI Chairman Imran Khan in connection with the case relating to threatening a female judge and police officers.
Judge Raja Hassan Jawad also granted bail to Imran Khan in four new provisions that have been added to the case registered against him.
After approving the interim bail, the ATC judge adjourned the hearing of the case until September 12.
Imran Khan was booked under Section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act (punishment for acts of terrorism) in connection with his comments during his Islamabad rally regarding additional district and sessions judge Zeba Chaudhry.
The ATC judge also directed the former prime minister to submit Rs100,000 as surety and sought final arguments on the next hearing.
During the hearing, Imran’s lawyer, Babar Awan pointed out that the PTI chairman had appeared before the ATC in line with its directives.
The lawyer added that four new sections had been added to the FIR against the former PM, namely 186 (offence of obstructing public servant in the execution of public duty), 504 (criminal intimidation), 506 (punishment for criminal intimidation) and 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant).
Babar Awan said that his client should be granted bail for these charges. The court said that notices would be issued instead.
Earlier, the court in Islamabad re-summoned former prime minister and PTI Chairman Imran Khan at 12:00 noon after he skipped the court appearance in connection with the hearing of his bail petition filed in the case of threatening a female judge during the party’s rally at Islamabad’s F-9 Parkl.
Imran Khan was due to appear in the ATC Thursday morning but he did not come citing a letter from police alerting him about threat to his life.
Judge Raja Hassan Jawad asked Babar Awan, counsel for Imran Khan, to tell as what were the risks which kept his client from appearing in the court. “It was his duty to appear in the court today. And he will have to appear,” he said emphatically.
Babar Awan replied that the Islamabad Police had conveyed this to the former prime minister in writing that there was risk to his life.
The judge, on the occasion, sought record of the case.
Imran received ‘threatening’ letter at his residence
Later talking to media men, Imran’s lawyer said that he had submitted to the court two written replies. “I have made it clear to the court that if anything bad happens to my client, the government, IGP Islamabad and DIG Islamabad will be responsible for that,” Awan said, adding that he had submitted to the court the ‘threatening’ letter PTI chairman had received at his Banigala residence in Islamabad.
He regretted that while on one hand security had been withdrawn from former prime minister, on the other hand no provincial police could escort him to the court.
Security beefed up
Earlier 500 police personnel, including two SPs and four DSPs, were deployed in and around the ATC and all routes leading to the court were sealed with barbed wires in view of the hearing of Imran’s petition.
Similarly, entry of irrelevant persons into the court was also strictly banned. And it was made mandatory for even those who would be allowed inside to have their bodies frisked before being let in.
Safe City cameras were activated to keep an eye on any suspicious movement in and around the court.
According to the security order, all cops, barring those positioned on the court’s rooftop, would be unarmed.
Likewise, policemen were barred from using cellphones during duty timings.
As many as 500 short-range and an equal number of long-range tear shells were also arranged in order to deal with any untoward situation.
