Imran Khan, the leader of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), was summoned before a financial court in the nation’s capital in connection with a case involving illegal funding.
The former prime minister was told to show up in court on February 28 by Special Judge Rakhshanda Shaheen. A copy of the Islamabad High Court’s (IHC) order was presented during the hearing by the PTI leader’s legal team.
The judge has invited Mr. Khan to appear at the case hearing next week in his individual capacity in light of the IHC judgement.
Imran Khan has a criminal case pending against him that the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) is looking into after the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) uncovered anomalies in the party money in August of last year. Eventually, the ECP forwarded the case to the FIA for additional inquiry.
IHC prevents the banking court from ruling on Imran Khan’s request for bail in the funding case
A division bench of the IHC comprised of Justices Mohsin Akhtar Kayani and Tariq Mehmood Jahangiri rejected the PTI leader’s request on Wednesday for permission to attend the banking court via video link in the funding case. He must appear before Judge Rakhshanda Shaheen on February 28 per the high court’s directive.
The banking court is not permitted to decide on the PTI leader’s bail petition in the case, and the bench further extended its stay order against that.
The change occurs after the special court on February 15 denied Mr. Khan’s request for an exemption from having to physically attend in the case.
