ISLAMABAD ,May 11,2023: In a dramatic turn of events, the Supreme Court of Pakistan on Thursday ordered the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) to immediately set PTI chief Imran Khan at liberty after declaring his arrest in the Al-Qadir Trust case “illegal”.
A three-member bench, headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan Umar Ata Bandial and comprising Justice Athar Minallah and Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar, heard the case after the PTI had approached the apex court challenging IHC’s decision of giving legal cover to the arrest Mr Khan in the case.
The court subsequently ordered Mr Khan to approach the IHC – the court that had declared Mr Khan’s arrest “legal” – by Friday and bound the PTI chief to follow the order of the court. However, the court did not quash the arrest warrants but raised questions on the way Mr Khan had been taken into custody.
On the other hand, the court declined Mr Khan’s plea to go home and ordered him to stay at Police Lines’ guest house with 10 people of his choice. Follwing this, the court ordered Mr Khan to present a list of names that could comprise lawyers, friends, and members of his family.
Islamabad Police said there would be security concerns at Mr Khan’s Bani Gala residence. Upon this, the court remarked that security would be ensured for you [Mr Khan] at the guest house. “Go there, have a chit chat,” CJP Bandial remarked.
The court also ruled that no institution would arrest any accused coming to the court to surrender. “If any law-enforcement agency is set to do any activity in a court, it will have to seek permission from the relevant court,” court ruled.
Mr Khan said he was tortured while being arrested, adding that he was baton-charged. He said even a murderer was not treated in such a pathetic way. “Terrorism cases were lodged against me despite the fact that I had been under arrest,” he added. “I had been taken into custody as if I were a terrorist,” he said.
He went on to say that how a party, that was seeking elections, could stage violence in the country.
He said he was sorry to know what happened in the country [after his arrest], he said. “I have always asked PTI activists to stay peaceful,” he added.
PTI, in reaction to Mr Khan’s release, called off the protests it had been staging since the PTI chief’s arrest. PTI stated that it welcomes SC’s verdict and would formulate future strategy after it.
Jemima Goldsmith, Mr Khan’s ex-wife, reacted to his release saying “Finally sense has prevailed”.
PML-N chief organiser Maryam Nawaz chastised CJP Bandial over PTI chief’s release saying “he should join the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and resign from his post as chief justice of the Supreme Court”.