Pak SC declares Imran Khan's arrest 'illegal', orders his immediate release

In a major relief for Imran Khan Pakistans Supreme Court on Thursday declared the former prime ministers arrest illegal and ordered his immediate release after he was produced before a bench on its ordersThe order to produce 70yearold Khan was issued by a threemember bench comprising Chief Justice of Pakistan Umar Ata Bandial Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar and Justice Athar MinallahThe bench which heard Pakistan TehreekeInsaf chairmans plea against his arrest in the AlQadir Trust case expressed anger at the way Khan was taken into custody from the premises of the Islamabad High CourtThe bench had directed the National Accountability Bureau NAB to produce Khan by 430 pm local time when the court would reconvene Khan was produced before the court amid tight security As he entered the courtroom it was closed and subsequently the bench resumed the hearing of the case It is good to see you Chief Justice Bandial told KhanWe believe that Imran Khans arrest was illegal the top judge said He said that the Islamabad High Court should hear the case on Friday You will have to accept whatever the high court decides the judge added Bandial also said that it is every politicians responsibility to ensure law and orderEarlier in the day Bandial asked how an individual could be arrested from the court premises Justice Minallah observed that Khan had indeed entered court premises How can anyone be denied the right to justice he askedAlso readImran Khan produced before Supreme Court on Chief Justice of Pakistans ordersThe court also observed that no one could be arrested from the court without permission of the courts registrar It observed that the arrest tantamount to denying access to justice without fear and intimation which was the right of every citizen It also said that by entering the premises of a court means surrendering to the court and how a person could be arrested after surrender If an individual surrendered to the court then what does arresting them mean the chief justice saidKhans counsel Hamid Khan informed that court that his client had approached the Islamabad High Court IHC seeking a prearrest bail but was arrested by paramilitary RangersRangers misbehaved with Imran Khan and arrested him the lawyer said The court also took note of about 90 to 100 Rangers personnel entering the court to arrest Khan What dignity remains of the court if 90 people entered its premises How can any individual be arrested from court premises the chief Justice askedChief Justice Bandial also at point observed that the National Accountability Bureau had committed contempt of court They should have taken permission from the courts registrar before the arrest Court staffers were also subjected to abuse he saidKhan was arrested on Tuesday from the Islamabad High Court and an accountability court on Wednesday handed him over to the National Accountability Bureau for eight days in connection with the AlQadir Trust case The former premier on Wednesday approached the apex court to set aside the warrants of NAB of May 1 for his arrest and to challenge the Islamabad High Courts decision to declare the arrest unlawfulEarlier the IHC expressing anger at the way Khan was nabbed upheld his arrest hours after he was whisked awayThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever