QUETTA: Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan did not appear for a third time before a joint investigation team (JIT) formed to investigate the murder of Supreme Court lawyer Abdul Razzaq Shar.

Mr Shar was shot dead by armed motorcyclists in a drive-by shooting on Quetta’s Airport Road last month.

A day later, the PTI chief was formally named in connection with the killing of Mr Shar, who had accused Mr Khan of high treason.

The complaint against Mr Khan was filed by the lawyer’s son, who accused the former prime minister of abetting murder, saying he believed his father was killed in connection with the case he had filed against Mr Khan.

The JIT, which held its 7th meeting on Friday, decided to send Mr Khan another notice to appear before the team to record his statement in the case.

Toshakhana hearing

During the hearing in Islamabad, Additional District and Sessions Judge (ADSJ) Humayun Dilawar expressed his displeasure over the PTI chief’s frequent no-shows after one of Mr Khan’s lawyers objected to daily hearings of the case, Dawn.com reported.

“You are objecting to the hearings being conducted on a daily basis. Your exemption request was always accepted even though the suspect did not appear in the court even once,” the judge observed.

The ECP lawyer also objected to the request for exemption for Mr Khan, arguing that “no solid reasons” had been mentioned in the exemption plea.

However, the judge still accepted the counsel’s plea to grant Mr Khan a one-day exemption but ordered that the PTI chief’s attendance must be ensured on Monday (tomorrow).

Published in Dawn, July 23rd, 2023