court rejects Imran exemption: Imran Khan’s request for a leave of absence was denied by a financial court in Islamabad on Wednesday, and the PTI leader was asked to appear in court by 3:30 pm.
Judge Rakhshanda Shaheen of the Banking Court heard the case of illegal funding brought against Imran Khan and others.
Imran Khan’s attorney, Barrister Salman Safdar, made an appearance before the judge during today’s sessions alongside PTI officials Shibli Faraz, Azam Swati, Faisal Javed, Senator Saifullah Niazi, Aamir Kayani, and others.
The judge asked everyone in the courtroom to leave at the beginning of the session, with the exception of the petitioner’s attorney.
Imran’s medical leave of absence was requested by Barrister Safdar and was presented to the court.
“If the judge hears our appeal and provides relief on the subject,” stated Imran’s attorney, “we will not pursue the high court case,” after the judge noted that Imran’s legal team had disputed her prior ruling in the high court.
She said, “You have disputed my order, so by all means, pursue it.
The court was encouraged to maintain “an open mind” by Barrister Safdar.
Imran Khan is over 70 years old, the attorney claimed, adding that his client was still suffering from a leg wound caused by a gunshot. He pleaded with the court to give him a further three weeks.
Should the court deny the plea, the attorney further stated that the court would have to state in writing that “our medical report is inaccurate, and that Imran Khan was not shot.”
Additionally, he emphasised that Imran was not currently in the capital and voiced concern that if Imran’s bail was revoked, he would be detained.
Later, the co-accused PTI financier Tariq Shafi’s attorney tried to submit his case but was stopped by the court.
Imran Khan’s Bail at Risk for No-Show in Court Today
“The judge remarked, “You are making an irrelevant point. This is a case about bail. I won’t make any further comments; it will continue to be a bail case “.
Rizwan Abbasi, a special prosecutor, disagreed with Imran’s plea for a leave of absence.
The judge refused Imran’s request for leave and directed him to appear in court after hearing the special prosecutor’s arguments.
Remember that the PTI leader had earlier obtained bail in the case filed under the Foreign Exchange Regulation Act in October of last year.
However, if the PTI leader does not ensure his appearance in court today, the bail will now be revoked (Wednesday).
Sources claim that Imran Khan’s legal team has contacted them and they have informed them that it will not be possible for the PTI leader to appear in court today.
The Case
The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) detained PTI leaders, including party chairman Imran Khan, the party’s financial team, and a manager of a private bank, in connection with the case involving unlawful funding.
The FIA Commercial Banking Circle in Islamabad filed the lawsuit.
A first information report (FIR) claims that the former leaders of the ruling party broke the Foreign Exchange Act and were identified as the owners of suspicious bank accounts.
According to the FIA, the Abraaj Group also wired $2.1 million to the PTI’s bank accounts.
The agency kicked off its probe against the PTI in August this year after the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) had confirmed in its judgement that the party had indeed received illegal financing.
Akbar S. Babar, a founding member of PTI who is now disillusioned, had filed the lawsuit, which has been pending since November 14, 2014.
The political party has received unlawful funding from other nations, including the US, UAE, UK, and Australia, according to the ECP’s written order.
The PTI leader, on the other hand, had argued that the FIA had abused its authority by hastily filing the case and that the case was filed on the basis of the prejudiced and unreliable ECP report.