The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Friday halted authorities from taking any action against PTI Chairman Imran Khan in cases in which he has not been nominated.
The verdict was announced by LHC Justice Amjad Rafiq today on a petition by the PTI chief to consolidate the cases against him in Punjab for hearing and to stay their proceedings.
According to the court order, Justice Rafiq ordered that “no coercive measures shall be taken against the petitioner in FIRs (first information report) wherein he is not nominated, till the next date of hearing” and adjourned the case to July 21. Separately, the PTI chief also appeared before a Joint Investigation Team (JIT) probing the vandalism of Jinnah House — the Lahore corps commander’s residence — on May 9 on Friday, his lawyer confirmed.
Imran’s counsel Ali Ijaz Buttar — who, along with another of Imran’s counsels Advocate Naeem Haider Panjutha was present during Imran’s appearance before the JIT — told media that the PTI chairman had joined the investigation in six cases related to May 9 and recorded his statements regarding them.
Buttar claimed Imran answered all questions asked of him. “We complied with Lahore ATC’s order and due process of law has been completed,” he added.
His questioning is linked to a case filed at the city’s Sarwar Road police station, in the wake of the vandalism.
In the case, he has been accused of aiding the attackers who vandalised and set fire to the Jinnah House while he was under arrest.
On May 9 after the PTI chief was arrested by the National Accountability Bureau in the Al-Qadir Trust case, protesters took to the streets across the country and notably ransacked the corps commander’s residence in Lahore and tore down a gate of the General Headquarters in Rawalpindi.
