LAHORE – The Lahore High Court has given time till 5pm to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan to appear before it in a case pertaining to protest outside the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).
The former prime minister was expected to appear before the Lahore High Court (LHC) to attend hearing of the protective bail plea filed by him but his lawyers told the high court that The Mall was clogged and he could be brought to court only if the passage was clear.
Strict security measures have already been taken at the high court to avoid any untoward situation as Justice Tariq Saleem Sheikh has suspended hearing of all other cases. The former prime minister is awaiting written permission from court regarding entry of his vehicle on LHC premises.
Justice Sheikh inquired from PTI chief’s lawyer Khwaja Tariq Rahim about the 2pm time given for Imran Khan’s appearance. The lawyer said Mr Khan was on the way but there was some issue in his travel due to security concerns. The judge replied that he was not bound to solve the security issue and stressed that only relevant lawyers should appear in court so as to avoid undue crowd.
Advocate Rahim also admitted that the bail petition was not suspended by Imran Khan.
Justice Sheikh also remarked that the law was same for everyone. Imran Khan, he said, should come from where every common man comes.
Meanwhile, PTI leaders Hammad Azhar and Farrukh Habib have confirmed that Mr Khan would appear before the court later in the day. In a tweet, Mr Azhar wrote, “Imran Khan will reach high court by 4pm”.
Earlier, Imran Khan’s private team visited the high court and reviewed security in and around the court. PTI chief’s lawyer Azhar Siddique and party leaders, including Shibli Faraz and Shah Mahmood Qureshi, reached court. It is for the first time that Mr Khan will appear before a court since an assassination attempt on him in October last.
