LAHORE: The Lahore High Court (LHC) invalidated the physical remand orders of former Prime Minister and PTI founder Imran Khan in 12 cases linked to the May 9 incidents, siding with his petitions challenging the remands.
During the hearing, prosecutors argued for the necessity of a polygraph test for Imran Khan, which the former premier had previously refused.
Justice Tariq Saleem Sheikh asked why these tests weren’t done during interim bail periods, pointing out that the remand requests came right when Khan was expected to be released.
Imran Khan’s lawyer, Salman Safdar, argued that the defense was unaware of many of the cases and that bail was neither sought nor granted in those instances.
Justice Anwarul Haq Pannu pointed out that Khan is often re-arrested after getting bail in other cases and asked why the prosecutors are taking so long to handle the older cases. The court criticized the timing and necessity of the physical remand, noting that Khan was already in judicial custody.
The court also pointed out that investigating officers had ample time over the past year to act on these cases. Upon completion of arguments, the court nullified the anti-terrorism court’s decision to grant the physical remand. Additionally, the court cancelled the notification for Khan’s video link attendance.
