Pak agency accuses Imran Khan of misusing interim bail, seeks his health examination

Pakistan’s top investigative agency on Saturday accused Imran Khan of “misusing” his interim bail to skip court hearings in a prohibited funding case against his party and sought the formation of a special medical board to determine the ex-premier’s health condition.

The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) in October last year filed a case in an Islamabad-based banking court against Khan and other leaders of his Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) party over allegedly receiving prohibited funding.

But Khan has not attended any hearings since November last year when he was injured in an attack at his rally in the Wazirabad area of Punjab. The former prime minister was granted interim bail by a special court in Islamabad after being shot during the assassination attempt. He has since received extensions on his bail due to medical reasons.

The FIA on Saturday filed a petition with the banking court, which is hearing the case, requesting that a medical board be formed to examine Khan.

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“After getting an interim bail, the accused is misusing the concession and not appearing before this honourable court and, in fact, he is not cooperating with the process of law and till date, neither he joined the investigation nor is he appearing before the court on one pretext or the other,” the FIA said in an application submitted in the court.

It said a “stereotype (sic) medical certificate” was being presented from Shaukat Khanum cancer hospital when Khan was having an orthopedic issue.

The agency claimed the medical report presented by Khan was issued by a hospital that was “owned” by him, “thus the said reports are otherwise not credible”.

The FIA urged that for justice and fair play, Khan should be examined by doctors of the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences or Polyclinic, the two reputed government hospitals in the capital.

It requested the court that an order be passed for the examination of Khan and the board be directed to submit a report on the health or mobility of the ex-premier in the light of injuries claimed by him on his leg.

Banking court judge Raskhinda Shaheen, after conducting the hearing, announced that Khan should be summoned on February 28.

The case is about the funding received by PTI from prohibited foreign sources. The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) last year found the party guilty of concealing that it had received the money and also disqualified Khan.

The prohibited funding case was filed by estranged PTI founding member Akbar S Babar in the ECP in 2014.