ISLAMABAD: The capital police have constituted a team of well-equipped police and paramilitary officials to produce former prime minister Imran Khan before a special court at the Federal Judicial Complex on Tuesday (today), in connection with a case registered under the Official Secrets Act.

The PTI chairman, currently incarcerated at Adiala Jail, would be brought to the court under tight security and an accompanying fleet would include SUV vehicles, police mobiles, and armoured personnel carriers.

The team was constituted after getting a green signal from the ‘high-ups,’ sources said, adding that the final decision would be made after midnight. The PTI chairman would likely be brought to the complex via Peshawar Road and Srinagar Highway, they added.

The police were directed to prepare all relevant plans, including security in and around the Judicial Complex, Red Zone. In addition, Rangers and FC troops along with their anti-riot units have been asked to remain on standby and respond at once when called for duty.

NAB denied physical remand of PTI chief in corruption case

Rangers equipped with anti-riot gear would be deployed in and around the complex assisted by the capital police in an ‘inner security ring’, sources said, adding that the FC teams equipped with anti-riot gear and assisted by the police would deployed in the ‘middle-security ring’, including the service roads around the complex.

A police contingent, including an anti-riot unit and teams of the Counter-Terrorism Department, would be deployed at the roads leading towards the complex, the sources said, adding that contingents of paramilitary troops and police would also be deployed at main points, like Faizabad, Zero Point, Peshawar Morr, and Golr Morr. The Red Zone will be partially sealed with only regulated entry allowed, they added.

Physical remand

On the other hand, an accountability court in Islamabad rejected the National Accountability Bureau’s (NAB) request seeking an extension in the physical remand of the former prime minister in a corruption case.

Accountability Judge Mohammad Bashir resumed proceedings at Adiala Jail after the four-day physical remand of Mr Khan lapsed. The prosecution requested the court to extend the physical remand for further investigation. The court rejected the request and sent Mr Khan on judicial remand. He directed the prosecution to produce him after a fortnight.

Meanwhile, an apparent security lapse led to an ugly situation outside Adiala jail when the vehicle of Mr Khan’s wife, Bushra Bibi, who had to appear before the accountability judge in jail, was hounded by a group of men. They raised offensive slogans against the former premier and his wife and blocked the vehicle’s entry to the jail. Meanwhile, a group of lawyers supporting the PTI chairman also arrived there and started shouting slogans in favour of Mr Khan. The jail security staff sprang into action and pushed away the protesters from outside the main gate of the jail.

The PTI chairman and his wife are facing the allegation that they obtained billions of rupees and hundreds of kanal of land from Bahria Town owner Malik Riaz to adjust money recovered from him by the UK agency against his liabilities in Supreme Court.

In 2019, the National Crime Agency of the UK recovered 190m pounds from the family of Malik Riaz and repatriated it to Pakistan. But it was later transferred to the SC, with the real estate tycoon claiming the money would go towards the Rs460bn he had to pay for acquiring land in Karachi for a housing scheme.

Mohammad Asghar in Rawalpindi also contributed to this report

Published in Dawn, November 28th, 2023