PESHAWAR: Extending protective bail of Bushra Bibi, the wife of incarcerated former prime minister and PTI founder Imran Khan, in cases registered against them, the Peshawar High Court on Wednesday directed law-enforcement agencies not to arrest her until Jan 16.

A bench consisting of Justice Sahibzada Asadullah and Justice Wiqar Ahmad also granted exemption to Bushra Bibi from appearing before it over her two petitions seeking orders for respondents, including federal and Punjab governments and different law-enforcement agencies, to furnish copies and details of FIRs and inquiries, if any, wherein her arrest was required to them.

She has also requested to restrain the respondents from arresting or harassing her in any manner without due process of law and without prior permission of the high court.

The petitioner’s counsel, Alam Khan Adenzai, informed the bench that Bushra Bibi couldn’t appear as she had to attend proceedings in Toshakhana 2.0 case in Islamabad.

Exempts her from hearing into two petitions

He stated that he had filed an application for exempting her from appearance on Wednesday.

Additional attorney general Sanaullah Khan said that two of the petitions of the petitioner had been fixed for hearing wherein she had sought details of cases against her.

He said that a report had already been submitted in this regard and that he was prepared to argue on the maintainability of those petitions in the high court.

Special deputy prosecutor general of the National Accountability Bureau Mohammad Ali saidthat he had filed a report on behalf of the bureau wherein it was mentioned that she had been charged in three of the cases.

The bench then put off hearing in the petitions until Jan 16 and also extended her protective bail to that date.

Mr Adenzai said that his client had been released from Adiala Jail, Rawalpindi, in Oct after remaining incarcerated there for many months in fabricated cases.

He said that subsequently more fake cases were registered against the petitioner by federal and Punjab governments, about which she was not having complete knowledge.

RELIEF FOR MARWAT: The bench extended interim pre-arrest bail earlier granted to Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf MNA Sher Afzal Khan until Feb 11 and restrained the police from arresting him in cases registered against him in different parts of the province.

It directed the provincial government to provide updates in the cases against the petitioner including how many of the cases had been withdrawn so far and the number of remaining cases.

Mr Marwat had early this year filed multiple petitions seeking quashing of FIRs registered in different police stations in the province.

He insisted that there were 19 cases registered against him out of which seven had been withdrawn so far.

The PTI leader said that some cases were registered in police stations about which he was not even aware where those were situated including Jabbar (Mardan) police station.

The bench directed additional advocate general Inam Khan Yousafzai to produce details of the cases withdrawn against the petitioner.

Outside the high court, Mr Marwat told reporters that a civil disobedience movement would be launched by the party only after all options for the resolution of issues were exhausted.

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He said PTI should be informed about who and why bullets were fired at its workers during the recent protest in Islamabad.

“All parties held protests at D-Chowk Islamabad but they had never been fired at,” he said.

He denied differences within the party, insisting Imran Khan is the party’s top leader, so nobody objects to his directions.

Mr Marwat said that negotiations were held between the PTI and the federal government until Nov 25, which should be resumed.

He said problems in the country had multiplied and it was the need of the hour to ensure state institutions don’t cross their constitutional limits.

The PTI leader said the party’s negotiation committee was fully empowered to make decisions.

He added that issues related to the May 9 incidents and the PTI’s stolen electoral mandate would be taken up in talks with the federal government.

Published in Dawn, December 19th, 2024