A district and sessions court in Pakistan has instructed the prosecution to ensure the presence of former Prime Minister Imran Khan at the upcoming hearing, either in person or via video link. This directive came as the court extended Khan’s pre-arrest bail in five cases, one of which involves the alleged attempted murder of former minister Mohsin Shahnawaz Ranjha. The court also extended the pre-arrest bail of Bushra Bibi in a related matter.
During the court proceedings, both Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi were represented by their legal representatives. However, despite prior instructions from the court, Imran Khan was not presented before the court through a video link, leading to the postponement of arguments on the acquittal plea due to the absence of his lawyer, Barrister Salman Safdar.
The cases against Imran Khan stem from incidents on May 9 and include charges such as attempted murder, presenting fake receipts, and other alleged offenses. Additionally, Bushra Bibi faces a separate case for allegedly submitting forged receipts. In a related development, Bushra Bibi’s interim bail in a case related to the November 26 protest was extended by Additional District and Sessions Judge Amir Zia.
Meanwhile, in another case, Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) Judge Tahir Abbas Sipra delayed the indictment proceedings in the Sangjani Jalsa case due to the absence of the accused PTI lawmakers.
