In a notification dated May 9, the government announced that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chief Imran Khan's court hearings location has been changed. The former prime minister was arrested by the Rangers paramilitary force at the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Tuesday, in a dramatic move. Despite protests erupting across the country condemning the arrest, the government has backed the development maintaining it was in accordance with law. Meanwhile, the IHC on Tuesday declared that Imran Khan’s arrest from the court's premises was carried out legally. Read Imran asks ISPR to 'listen carefully' as he calls out senior military official again As per law, the PTI chairman is to appear before an anti-graft court today for a crucial hearing. He was arrested by Rangers officials yesterday in the National Accountability Bureau's (NAB) Al-Qadir Trust case. Imran was also scheduled to appear before a local court in the federal capital set to indict the former prime minister on May 10 in the Toshakhana case, filed by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP). Additional Sessions Judge Humayun Dilawar on Friday had dismissed two petitions filed by the PTI chief, challenging criminal proceedings against him in the Toshakhana case, after hearing arguments from both sides. The reference was filed by the ECP in November last year, praying the court to proceed against the PTI chief under criminal law for allegedly misleading officials about the gifts he received from foreign dignitaries during his tenure as the prime minister. In a notification issued late on Tuesday night, however, the office of the Chief Commissioner Islamabad Capital Territory said that the venue for the hearing had been changed to the police guesthouse in Islamabad. As part of a "one-time dispensation", the local administration declared "New Police Guest House, Police Lines Headquarters H 11/1, Islamabad, the venue for hearing of case titled 'District Election Commissioner Vs Imran Khan Niazi' and for the appearance of Mr Imran Khan Niazi before Honorable Judge Accountability Court - I, Islamabad on 10th May 2023, instead of F-8 Court Complex, Islamabad and Judicial Complex G 11/4, Islamabad." Furthermore, the PTI leadership has been blocked from reaching the new venue. These include senior party leaders like Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Asad Umar, and Chief Minister Gilgit Baltistan Muhammad Khalid Khurshid Khan. Several PTI leaders, including Ali Nawaz Awan, have been stopped at the Kashmir highway and only authorised persons are being permitted to enter police lines. Why is @ImranKhanPTI not being allowed legal representation? Why are his lawyers and senior leadership not being allowed to meet him? Why has a police line house been converted into a temporary court. Why are you hiding Imran Khan?#ReleaseImranKhan — Shah Mahmood Qureshi (@SMQureshiPTI) May 10, 2023 Qureshi took to Twitter to question why Imran was "not being allowed legal representation?" and "why are his lawyers and senior leadership not being allowed to meet him?"
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