Larger LHC bench recommended to hear Imran’s plea challenging cases

The Lahore High Court has recommended to form a larger bench to hear petition filed by former prime minister and PTI Chairman Imran Khan challenging similar cases registered against him across the country, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.

A two-judge LHC bench headed by Justice Tariq Saleem Sheikh on Monday heard the petition. Imran appeared before the court. 

While recommending to form a larger bench to hear Imran’s petition, the court sent the file to the Chief Justice of Lahore High Court. 

Justice Sheikh remarked that he had already sent a similar petition to the larger bench and he is sending this petition, too, to the larger bench. He said that the petitioner requested the court to fix the hearing of the case today.

Imran’s lawyer contended that police is complainant in all cases registered against the PTI chief, adding that police is being used for political point scoring. He said as per the law, reasons must be explained before arresting someone but every day a new case has been registered against his client. 

The lawyer said that 140 cases have been registered against Imran and it is feared that he could be arrested. He said that police should tell the court whether his client’s arrest is necessary. He said that Imran has to go to Islamabad tomorrow to get interim bails in 9 cases ‘it’s not possible to face so many cases’. 

The Punjab government lawyer, however, objected to the application submitted by Imran Khan. He said that the petitioner wanted that neither should he be arrested nor investigated. He argued that police investigation powers could not be obstructed. He further said no stay order could be issued on the criminal proceedings. 

PTI Chairman Imran Khan filed a petition in the LHC challenging 121 cases registered against him in Lahore, Karachi, Islamabad and Quetta. 

He made secretaries of interior, law, and defence ministries, cabinet division secretary; chief secretary, Punjab IG police, anti-corruption establishment, NAB, FIA, Prime Minister, Pemra and Election Commission of Pakistan respondents in his petition. 

The petitioner requested the court to order the police not to take any action against him till final decision on the case. 

He also requested the court to stop police from initiating any criminal proceedings against him without prior sending a legal notice.

Reporter Malik Ashraf