ISLAMABAD: A local court on Friday directed the Adiala jail authorities to produce Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan and party leader Shah Mahmood Qureshi before it on April 20.
The district and sessions court issued the production order while hearing a petition seeking Khan and Qureshi’s presence in the court during proceedings of Parliament attack case.
Khan’s counsel Naeem Panjotha presented his arguments before Judicial Magistrate Mureed Abbas, who presided over the hearing.
Panjotha informed the court that the superintendent of Adiala jail does not obey the order of any court. He pleaded to the court to ensure that the jail officials adhere to the orders and produce Khan before it.
He added that jail authorities made excuses and the PTI founder was not even being presented for a hearing via video link.
The judicial magistrate, following Panjotha’s arguments, said Khan was in Adiala jail and the situation is different, and while the option of video link is there, the attendance takes place in the e-court.
The former premier’s counsel requested the court order the authorities to present Khan in the courtroom.
“The high court ruled that a meeting with a political leader can be done on video link.”
Panjotha added that the internet works in Adiala jail, but only in the case of PTI founder, it stops working.
“Adiala jail superintendent is afraid to bring PTI founder on video link,” the counsel said.
Earlier this week, Panjotha had filed a petition in the court seeking the production of PT founding chairman for the hearing pertaining to his acquitted in two cases related to vandalism during long march.
Judicial Magistrate Shaista Kundi of the district and sessions court, however, rejected the plea citing security concerns.
“Who will be responsible if something happens on the way while bringing PTI founder to court?” the judicial magistrate remarked.
The lawyer argued that Khan has been appearing at the court on his own earlier too.
“It is the government’s job to provide security,” he said, adding that PTI founder’s legal team wanted to give their arguments in his presence.
“Attendance on bail would have been necessary,” the judicial magistrate had observed, rejecting the plea.
