ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Wednesday summoned the area magistrate of Ramna in response to the petition of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan seeking to quash the First Information Report (FIR) registered against him for allegedly inciting mutiny.

IHC Chief Justice Aamer Farooq was hearing the petition.

PTI’s lawyer Faisal Fareed Chaudhry argued before the court that the Islamabad police have registered the cases of the incident allegedly occurred beyond their territorial jurisdiction.

He argued that the FIR registered with the Ramna police station was also among those FIRs registered against Mr Khan for political reasons.

He requested the court to suspend the FIR till the final decision on the petition.

The court, however, issued notices to the respondents including the police officials and the area magistrate and adjourned the hearing.

The same court also heard arguments on the petition of Mr Khan seeking permission to join the trial proceeding in all the criminal cases pending against him in the Islamabad’s subordinate judiciary.

IHC Chief Justice Aamer Farooq asked the counsel for Mr Khan to cite legal precedence where the accused has been given the similar relief. He observed that the cases could be clubbed by the sessions court.

He asked the additional attorney general to assist the court as to whether the accused could be indicted through video link or the recording of statements and cross examination on the witnesses could be done this way.

Justice Farooq remarked that he decided to appoint amicus curiae in this matter, but it appeared that every other lawyer has affiliation either with one side or the other.

He noted that leading lawyer Khawja Haris Ahmed could have been appointed as amicus in this case, but he is repeatedly appearing from a certain political party.

The hearing in this matter has been adjourned till April 18.

Published in Dawn, April 13th, 2023