ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan is expected to appear before Islamabad courts on Tuesday (today) in multiple cases. 

He is headed to Islamabad from Lahore alongside party workers. 

The former prime minister will likely appear in at least four different cases, including an attempt to murder case against him and the Toshakhana case in a district and sessions court, a prohibited funding case in a banking court and a terrorism case in an anti-terrorism court.

Attempt to murder case

The attempt to murder case against Khan was filed by a Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader. PML-N leader Mohsin Shahnawaz Ranjha filed a case against the former prime minister last year at the Secretariat Police Station in the federal capital.

The case was filed a day after Ranjha was allegedly attacked outside the ECP office, where PTI workers and supporters were protesting the electoral body’s verdict that resulted in the disqualification of their party chief in the Toshakhana case.

At the last hearing, a district and sessions court rejected on Monday the former prime minister’s petition seeking a transfer of the hearing of the attempted murder case to the judicial complex.

Additional sessions judge Zafar Iqbal heard the case today. Khan’s lawyer Sardar Masroof attended the hearing.

During the hearing, the judge inquired when the PTI chief will come.

The lawyer replied that Khan is on his way to Islamabad from Lahore by road and will come within the court’s time.

“Imran Khan will go to the banking court first and then will come here,” he said, adding that he is unable to contact the PTI chief and hence, cannot give an exact time of his arrival.

At this, the plaintiff’s lawyer asked for an exact time, saying that “we cannot wait for you.”

The court then adjourned the hearing till 12pm.

Toshakhana hearing

Meanwhile, a district and sessions court heard the Toshakhana case against the PTI chairman.

Khan’s lawyer Ali Bukhari and Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) lawyer Saad Hasan were present in court.

The hearing of the case was conducted by judge Zafar Iqbal.

Khan’s lawyer informed the court that the former has left Lahore a while ago. “Imran Khan has to appear before two courts in the judicial complex,” he added.

He said that Khan will not be able to appear in this court today.

Bukhari requested the court to adjourn the hearing for five days.

“Why is it that Imran can appear in 11 courts but not at the katchehri?” inquired the judge.

The court will frame charges against him so he should come here and then leave, he remarked.

“Khawaja Haris is Imran Khan’s lawyer in this case and he is not available to appear in this court today,” he added.

The judge sought Khan once again in the Toshakhana case today.

Both of Khan’s lawyers — Ali Bukhari and Sardar Masroof — are were reportedly giving contradictory statements about Khan’s arrival.

Prohibited funding

Meanwhile, a banking court in Islamabad postponed the proceedings scheduled for all the cases against Khan, citing security concerns.

The court had summoned the PTI chief to appear before it today in the prohibited funding case.

A case of prohibited funding against Khan — who was ousted in April through a no-confidence move — and other party leaders was heard at the banking court last week under the Foreign Exchange Act.

During today’s hearing, Khan’s bail plea in the case will be heard and all other petitioners are being given a new date.

Terrorism case

On the other hand, Khan’s lawyer Naeem Haider Panjhota filed an interim bail plea for the former premier in the terrorism case related to the protests outside the ECP following his disqualification.

The plea was filed in an anti-terrorism court in Islamabad.

The plea stated that the case against Khan had been registered to “politically victimise” him.

“I am the leader of a major political party. I was booked in a terrorism case, which I am not guilty of,” Khan stated in the plea, requesting of interim bail before the confirmation of bail in the case.