ISLAMABAD – An accountability court in the federal capital on Monday granted interim bail to Bushra Bibi and stopped the NAB from arresting her in Toshakhana and 190 million pound Al-Qadir Trust cases.
Bushra, the former First Lady of Pakistan and the current wife of ousted prime minister Imran Khan, appeared in the court of duty judge Raja Jawad Abbas Hassan along with her counsel Latif Khosa for the pre-arrest bail.
The interim bail was granted against surety bonds worth Rs500,000 in each case and the hearing was adjourned till October 31.
Also, the Islamabad District and Sessions Court put off hearings in six cases against Imran Khan till October 24. The court was hearing bail applications of the duo in seven cases.
Khan’s lawyer Salman Safdar appeared in the court of Judge Tahir Abbas Sipra on behalf of the defendants. He said the Islamabad High Court was approached for a collective bail in nine cases, adding that his client’s bail in six cases was rejected by the sessions court and three cases by the ATC.
Safdar also requested the court to issue Khan’s production orders.
Judge Sipra said that high court’s judgement strongly mentions the arrest twice. If Imran Khan had to be investigated, it could have been done in Attock Jail.
To a court inquiry, the lawyer argued that if Bushra Bibi’s arrest was not required then her bail application would be withdrawn.
The Anti-Terrorism Court of Islamabad on Monday put off hearing of the bail application of PTI Chairman Imran Khan in three cases till October 24 and sought the record of the cases.
Two of the cases are registered at the Khanna Police Station and one at Bhara Kahu.
During the hearing, lawyer Salman Safdar asked the court to issue Khan’s production orders, saying the Islamabad High Court has restored the bail applications and his appearance in court is mandatory in all three cases.
“Don’t think you have the powers of an Official Secrets Act court also. When a bail application is filed, it is decided on merit. If the court thinks the production cannot be ensured today, then the hearing should be held tomorrow. Whether the client has to be brought by a helicopter or an armoured vehicle, it is the responsibility of the prison authorities,” the lawyer argued.
Judge Abul Hasnat Zulqarnain said if the appearance of the suspect is a problem, the court can hear the bail application where another case has to be heard tomorrow. This may be a pre-arrest bail application but the fact is the suspect is in jail.
The lawyer said they did not want the bail application to be heard in jail tomorrow. The judge told him he would get the relief that he was entitled to.
