ISLAMABAD: Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Monday summoned the regional police officer (RPO) Rawalpindi on the petition of PTI founding chairman Imran Khan’s spouse Bushra Bibi, seeking details of the cases registered against her.

Bushra Bibi also requested a restraining order to prevent her arrest, enabling her to approach the court of competent jurisdiction.

IHC Chief Justice Aamer Farooq took up the petition. Sardar Latif Khan Khosa, counsel for Bushra Bibi, stated before the court that the former prime minister’s spouse was implicated in cases registered against the May 9 protests outside the General Headquarters and other military installations. He informed the court that the police were seeking her custody in a case where investigation had not yet begun.

Mr Khosa referenced the Lahore High Court (LHC) stating that an arrest in one case would be treated as an arrest in all cases. Subsequently, an accused could not be taken into custody after securing bail or acquittal in one of the pending cases.

Bushra Bibi and Imran Khan were re-arrested in a National Accountability Bureau (NAB) reference following their acquittal in the Iddat case.

Additional District and Sessions Judge Mohammad Afzal Majoka on July 13 set aside the conviction handed down to the couple on February 3 for contracting marriage during Bushra Bibi’s Iddat period. However, NAB re-arrested Bushra Bibi as she was about to be released from Adiala jail.

When Justice Farooq inquired about the numbers of first information reports (FIRs) registered in connection with May 9 incidents against Bushra Bibi, the court was told that 11 FIRs had surfaced so far.

Justice Farooq remarked that the RPO might be summoned to obtain precise details of the cases. Subsequently, the hearing in this matter was adjourned till August 7.

Published in Dawn, August 6th, 2024