KARACHI: Lahore High Court (LHC) Wednesday withdrew the order restraining the police and Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) from taking action against Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan.
While hearing a petition for the details of the cases against Imran Khan, LHC judge Justice Tariq Saleem Sheikh remarked that the stay order could not be kept in force then after the submission of the cases’ details by the FIA and police.
LHC judge Justice Tariq Saleem Sheikh heard the petition of Imran Khan. The lawyers for the federal and Punjab governments submitted a report on the cases. They presented the report on the cases against Imran Khan along with the affidavit.
“This is the report till last evening,” lawyer for the Punjab government told the court. “I was given a list of 23 cases,” lawyer for the federal government claimed before the court. The court directed the lawyer for the federal government to get the list signed.
“The list of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has come,” the federal government’s lawyer said. “We were thinking that there would be 100 cases. But here the cases have crossed the 100 mark,” PTI leader Fawad Chaudhry pointed out in the court.
“Where are the details of NAB cases, the details of inquiries?” Justice Tariq Saleem Sheikh inquired. The lawyer for the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) sought time for submitting the reply. “A few days ago, there were 56 FIRs. Today, there are 84,” Imran Khan’s lawyer told the court.
“You are to give the list of the cases,” Justice Tariq Saleem Sheikh said to the NAB lawyer. “It is not possible for me to provide complete details right now,” the NAB lawyer said. Imran Khan’s lawyer said that it had been written to the NAB for details on February 17.
He told the court that there were then 84 cases against Imran Khan in Punjab. “Yesterday, there were 33 cases at the federal level. Today, there are 43 cases. Cases are being registered after short intervals,” he added. “The NAB director general is in Lahore. Call him,” he demanded.
“The NAB director general is of Lahore, not of whole Pakistan. We can give them a written response to their petition,” the NAB lawyer said. “As far as the petition is concerned, the objective has been fulfilled. If you want, you can get the FIR record from the help desk,” lawyer for the Punjab government said.
The court sought records of cases from the NAB and Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) on Friday. The NAB and the ACE were stopped from taking disciplinary action until the next hearing.
Meanwhile, a report on six cases registered against Imran Khan was also submitted by the Punjab inspector general of police (IGP). “Imran Khan is innocent in one case. A case against Imran Khan has been dismissed. Cases filed against him in Lahore are being investigated,” the report said. AIG (legal) Muhammad Salim Chughtai presented the report on behalf of the IGP.