ISLAMABAD: An anti-terror court (ATC) in Pakistan on Monday extended the bail of former prime minister Imran Khan until September 20 while hearing a case against him on charges of threatening top police officials and an additional district and sessions judge during a public rally last month.
The Islamabad police had filed a case against Khan on August 21 for “terrorizing” these officials after he addressed his party workers and supporters in the federal capital to express solidarity with his chief of staff, Dr. Shahbaz Gill, who was arrested by the police on charges of sedition on August 9.
The former prime minister alleged Gill had been tortured in police custody while saying he would not “spare” the Islamabad inspector general and deputy inspector general police and “take action” against the woman judge who remanded Gill in their custody.
During the hearing, the ATC judge, Raja Jawad Abbas, asked the investigation officers if Khan had joined the investigation in the case.
“The investigators have issued three notices to Imran Khan, but he has not joined the investigation,” prosecutor Raja Rizwan Abbasi informed the court.
Khan’s counsel Babar Awan said his client had submitted a statement to the investigation officer through his legal team while objecting to police demand that the ex-premier should visit their office to record his statement.
“Khan will be going to the police station to record his statement and join the investigation, if the court orders so,” Awan said as the judge reprimanded the investigation officer for not making the former prime minister’s statement part of the probe.
Later, the judge directed both the prosecution and defense lawyers to mutually decide on the way to complete the investigation process in the case, and adjourned the hearing till September 20.
Speaking to reporters after the hearing, Khan reiterated his allegation of torture against his chief of staff during the police custody.
“If someone says that I’ll take legal action against those who remanded him [to police] despite the torture, if this is terrorism, then you can declare anyone a terrorist,” he said.
“They have made a mockery of terrorism laws and the country,” he said, adding this case had made headlines across the international media.
“This is an insult to Pakistan and an insult to terrorism laws,” he continued. “And the thing which hurts me most is that the [issue of] custodial torture has been forgotten which is otherwise condemned in the whole world.”
Last week in his written response to the police, Khan maintained that his statement at the Islamabad rally could not be categorized as “terrorism,” adding he neither committed any illegal act nor harmed anyone.
The ex-premier is also facing contempt proceedings initiated by the Islamabad High Court for his controversial remarks against the judge in which he is expected to be indicted on September 22.
The same court, however, granted him a three-day interim bail in the terrorism case on August 29.
The ATC extended the ex-premier’s bail until September 12 earlier this month while directing prosecution and defense lawyers to complete their arguments in today’s hearing.
The terrorism charge against Khan carries anything from several months to 14 years in prison, the equivalent of a life sentence. However, the former prime minister maintains the case against him is politically motivated and his senior party leaders have also described the charges against him as “bogus.”
