PTI Chairman Imran Khan filed on Monday a pre- arrest bail application in the Islamabad High Court to avoid arrest in a terror case filed against him last (Sunday) night. PTI lawyer Faisal Chaudhry and Babar Awan filed the plea on the former PM behalf, who maintained in the plea that he is ready to appear before the court whenever summoned. The plea states that Imran Khan has no criminal record from the past and has never been convicted for any offence. A first information report (FIR) was registered against former prime minister Khan under the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) for threatening an additional sessions judge and senior police officers of the Islamabad Police at a rally in the federal capital’s F-9 Park. Meanwhile, the interior ministry has asked written permission from Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif office to arrest Khan following the registration of the case.

According to sources, the PTI chairman has left his Bani Gala residence to avoid arrest. It is being reported that he may have left for Lahore or Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. However, PTI leader Faisal Vawda said that Khan is still at Bani Gala. The interior ministry has sought written permission from PM Office for the arrest of the PTI chair. Sources said the arrest will be made with the consensus of all parties in the ruling alliance. Meanwhile, PPP leader and former president Asif Ali Zardari has opposed the arrest of Imran Khan. He believes that the arrest will cause political damage to the ruling alliance. On the other hand, Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) President Maulana Fazlur Rehman did not give a clear viewpoint on Imran Khan’s arrest as PTI leader Murad Saeed claimed on Sunday night that the arrest warrants for Imran Khan had been issued.

Police deployed around Bani Gala Additional police force has been deployed outside Imran Khan Bani Gala residence and the road leading to his residence has also been closed for unauthorised people, allowing only people close to him and the residents of the area to enter, hours after the registration of the case. Sources said, it is not yet decided whether Imran Khan would be arrested or put under house arrest, sources engaged in sketching the strategy of the operation. “Negotiations with Imran Khan are under way, as the PTI leader wants to avoid arrest or house arrest,” added the sources, saying that the authorities have multiple plans to handle the situation with the help of law-enforcement agencies, but were waiting for a green signal from the quarters concerned. “Imran Khan is seeking the facility to approach the higher judiciary for obtaining relief, but he will have to surrender before the police as the first step,” the sources added.

Credit:
Independent News Pakistan-INP