ISLAMABAD: As an accountability court transferred a fresh Tos­hakhana reference against him and his wife, Bushra Bibi, to a special court of the Federal Investiga­tion Agency (FIA), PTI founder Imran Khan on Monday hinted at backdoor contacts between his party and the military establishment.

Speaking to reporters after attending accountability court proceedings, he said his party’s Sept 8 rally, originally scheduled to be held on Aug 22, was postponed at the request of the establishment.

Mr Khan claimed that ex-senator Azam Swati visited the Adiala jail at 7am and conveyed the message from the establishment.

The message was conveyed during the ‘extraordinary’ visit to the jail, as a meeting before the start of regular visiting hours (which begin at 9am) could only be possible through special arrangement.

Fresh Toshakhana case against ex-PM, spouse referred to FIA court

Mr Khan explained that the establishment wanted the postponement of the Aug 22 jalsa primarily for security reasons in the wake of religious parties’ protests on the same day as well as in view of the arrangements for the Pakistan-Bangladesh cricket match. He claimed that the establishment had assured him of the necessary permissions required to hold a jalsa on Sept 8.

He lamented the government attem­pted to stop protesters by placing containers on roads and issuing directives for the organisers to conclude the jalsa by 7pm.

The ex-premier also alleged that the establishment had previously offered him ‘acquittal in all cases’ if he kept mum for three years. He said he would have fled the country if he wanted to get such ‘relief’.

Interestingly, Mr Khan also criticised the amendments to the National Accountability Ordinance, saying that it would “protect money laundering and theft of national exchequer”, despite the fact that he has sought acquittal in the new Toshakhana reference under the same amended law.

Mr Khan warned of street agitation if the much-hyped constitutional package was introduced through legislation to extend the tenure of Chief Justice of Pakistan Qazi Faiz Isa. He said the former commissioner of Rawalpindi had hurled serious allegations against the CJP regarding rigging in the Feb 8 general elections.

He said efforts were being made to make the SC controversial.

He reiterated the allegation that the then army chief was part of a conspiracy hatched in London against his party. He said when he contacted the then army chief, the latter assured him that the institution would remain ‘neutral’.

Accountability court

Earlier, Judge Mohammad Ali Warraich of the accountability court ruled that the special judge of the FIA court would also hear bail petitions of the couple, despite the request by Mr Khan’s lawyer Barrister Salman Safdar to accept their bail pleas before transferring the case.

The judge observed that since the Supreme Court upheld amendments in the National Accountability Bureau Ordinance, the FIA was relevant forum and not the NAB. The special court of the FIA was competent to entertain the complaint and hear the bail applications, Justice Warraich ruled.

Subsequently, he transferred the case record to the special court.

Earlier, Barrister Safdar argued there was no case against the ex-premier and his wife under the amended law, requesting the accountability court to decide the bail pleas. The NAB prosecution, however, argued that in the light of the amendments, the accountability court could not pass an order on the bail pleas in the instant reference.

Published in Dawn, September 10th, 2024