Accountability Court judge Muhammad Bashir grants 8-days physical remand of Imran Khan in Al-Qadir Trust case

ISLAMABAD, May 10 (SABAH): Announcing its reserved verdict, an anti-graft court approved on Wednesday eight-day physical remand of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman and former prime minister Imran Khan in the Al-Qadir Trust case. The court has directed the NAB officials to present Imran Khan on next hearing of the case along with progress report of the investigations conducted from him. Admin judges of the Accountability Courts Islamabad Muhammad Bashir, while announcing the verdict reserved earlier, directed officials to present Imran Khan in court on May 17.

Accountability court judge Muhammad Bashir conducted the hearing of the case at the New Police Guest House earlier in the day, wherein the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) presented the reasons behind the former prime minister’s arrest, and sought his 14-day physical remand.

However, Imran Khan’s legal team opposed the NAB’s request. His lawyer Khawaja Harris Ahmed maintained that the PTI chief will cooperate in the investigation and that there was “no need for a physical remand”.

Deputy Prosecutor General NAB Sardar Muzaffar Ahmed Khan Abbasi, Special Prosecutor Rafi Maqsood, NAB investigation officer Mian Umar Nadeem and NAB Prosecutor Sardar Zulqarnain were present at the hearing.

The PTI chief was represented by Khawaja Harris Ahmed, Barrister Ali Gohar Khan and Advocate Syed Ali Muhammad Bukhari.

During the hearing, the NAB prosecutor told the accountability court that the arrest warrant was shown to Imran Khan at the time of his arrest.

However, the PTI chief maintained that he was shown the warrant when he reached the NAB office.

In his arguments, the NAB prosecutor told the court that “this is a case of corruption which was investigated by National Crime Agency (NAC) of the UK.” “The money in this case was to be transferred to the government of Pakistan,” he added.

Haris argued that, “My client was illegally arrested.” “Proper method was not adopted to arrest Imran. [The] NAB sent a notice, but when did it convert the complaint into a reference?” he questioned.

The lawyer maintained that “Imran is also being dragged in many other cases”, adding that “my client will join the investigation and cooperate in it”. The court later reserved its verdict.

During the proceedings, PTI Chairman Imran Khan told the accountability court that he was fearful for his life. “I have not been to the washroom in 24 hours,” the former prime minister said during the proceedings of the Al-Qadir Trust case.

The PTI chief requested the court to grant his personal physician Dr. Faisal Sultan access to him. “I am afraid I will meet the same fate as ‘Maqsood Chaprasi’,” Imran Khan said. “They give [you] an injection, and [you] slowly die,” the ex-premier said.

Imran Khan said that “they inject something that causes slow death to a person injected”.

Imran Khan said during the hearing that he was shown warrants on reaching the NAB office. The former PM questioned what record the NAB wanted. He said all the money in question was released with the approval of the cabinet.

The PTI chief also said he had spent Rs100 million on legal proceedings so far. Imran Khan also said he was harassed and arrested on the court premises and glasses were broken.

He said he could not use the washroom during the last 24 hours. He also demanded that he be allowed to meet his physician Dr Faisal.

Meanwhile, a medical report of Imran Khan was submitted to the NAB that declared him fit. A medical board, comprising seven doctors from the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) and two doctors from the Polyclinic, examined Imran Khan soon after his arrest and conducted several tests.

The report submitted by the board, headed by Dr Rizwan Taj, showed that Khan’s blood pressure, sugar level, and heartbeat were normal.

Separately Imran Khan was indicted in Toshakhana case on Wednesday. Additional and District Sessions Judge Humayun Dilawar presided over the hearing concerning the Toshakhana case.

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) had sought proceedings under the criminal law against the PTI chief. The ECP had approached the court on the matter on a reference filed by lawmakers from the ruling coalition last year.

The reference alleges that Imran had “deliberately concealed” details of the gifts he retained from the Toshaskhana — a repository where presents handed to government officials from foreign officials are kept — during his time as the prime minister and proceeds from their reported sales.

It should be noted that Imran 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 Imran 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.

The decision to present Khan at a special court instead of a NAB court was taken in view of security threats to his life. According to sources, the PTI chief was shifted to an unknown place late at night from NAB’s office.

“[…] the Provincial Government, as a one-time dispensation, is pleased to declare New Police Guest House, Police Lines Headquarters H 11/1, Islamabad, the venue for hearing of case titled ‘District Election Commissioner Vs Imran Khan Niazi’ and for the appearance of Mr Imran Khan Niazi before Honorable Judge Accountability Court – I, Islamabad on 10th May 2023, instead of F-8 Court Complex, Islamabad and Judicial Complex G 11/4, Islamabad,” notification issued by the provincial government, ICT read.

It should be noted that entry access to special court was only granted to people whose name was added to the court list.

Earlier on Tuesday Imran Khan was arrested during a court appearance in Islamabad High Court (IHC). Imran Khan was shifted at the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) office present at Melody area of Islamabad. Imran Khan’s medical examination was also conducted at the NAB office.

Imran Khan, who was present at the Islamabad High Court (IHC) for two hearings on Tuesday afternoon, was arrested from the court’s premises in the Al-Qadir Trust case.

Imran Khan’s arrest warrant was dated May 1 and signed by NAB Chairman Lt-Gen (retd) Nazir Ahmed. It said that Imran Khan was accused of corruption and corrupt practices under Section 9(a) of the National Accountability Ordinance (NAO), 1999.

According to NAB’s statement, Imran Khan was arrested in the Al-Qadir Trust case. It further stated that Rangers did not take him in custody. It stated that NAB on its own had ordered for his arrest; hence, it implemented this order. In the NAB’s statement, it was stated that former premier was accused of involved in corruption practices.

It is worth mentioning here that the former prime minister, along with his wife Bushra Bibi and other PTI leaders, is facing a NAB inquiry related to a settlement between the PTI government and a property tycoon, which reportedly caused a loss of 190 million pounds to the national exchequer.

As per the charges, Khan and other accused allegedly adjusted Rs50 billion — 190 million pounds at the time — sent by Britain’s National Crime Agency (NCA) to the government.

They are also accused of getting undue benefit in the form of over 458 kanals of land at Mouza Bakrala, Sohawa, to establish Al Qadir University.