SC stops Imran Khan's arrest in lawyer murder case till August 9

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court (SC) on Monday gave Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan relief in the case related to the murder of senior lawyer Abdul Razzaq Shar in Quetta, restricting the police from arresting the former prime minister till August 9. 

The deposed prime minister had filed a plea in the SC seeking the quashing of the FIR that nominated him in the murder case of Advocate Shar, who was shot dead in Quetta on June 6.

A first information report (FIR) had been registered against Khan, and others on the complaint of the slain lawyer’s son, Advocate Siraj Ahmed, in Quetta, under the charges of murder, Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) and other provisions.

Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (SAPM) Ataullah Tarar held the PTI chairman “directly responsible” for the murder, claiming that the targeted killing was related to a treason case against Imran under Article 6 of the Constitution, which Shar was pleading.

A three-member bench comprising Justice Yahya Afridi, Justice Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi, and Justice Mussarat Hilali directed Khan to appear before the court on August 9.

At the outset of the proceedings, the PTI chief appeared before the court as directed by the bench on the last hearing.

However, the arguments from the complainant's lawyer couldn't be given due to his absence.

Meanwhile, the Balochistan advocate general requested the court to order the former prime minister to appear before the investigation officer (IO) in the case.

At this, Justice Naqvi inquired why the PTI chief was required to join the probe.

Justice Afridi then directed the government lawyer to take directives on the reason for including Khan in the investigations and state them to the court before the complainant's lawyer on the next hearing.

Later, the court adjourned the hearing till August 9 at the request of the case's complainant.

Khan had moved the SC to quash the FIR that nominated him in the murder case of the advocate Shar. Besides bail in the case, he also requested to set aside the Balochistan High Court’s (BHC) decision to reject a similar petition.

However, the two-member bench of the SC comprising Justice Ijazul Ahsen and Justice Ayesha A Malik rejected Khan's bail plea and refused to suspend the BHC's order without hearing other parties in the matter.

The court held that a two-member bench of the apex court could not suspend the order passed by the learned high court’s two-member bench, directing the PTI chief to approach the chief justice of Pakistan (CJP) for fixation of the case before a three-member bench.