14-day remand sought for Imran Khan, senior PTI leader Asad Umar arrested

As the much-anticipated hearing of the Al-Qadir Trust case against Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan began at a special court on Wednesday, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) officials sought a 14-day remand of the former premier who was arrested yesterday (9 May).

Just a day after the PTI chairman's dramatic detention from the Islamabad High Court's diary branch, the party's Secretary General Asad Umar was arrested by the personnel of a Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) from the premises of the same court, reports Dawn.

The Islamabad police's CTD officials picked up Umar from outside the IHC Bar Room where he and other PTI leaders were preparing a plea to be filed in the IHC seeking a meeting with PTI Chairman Imran Khan.

The former finance minister was booked in two cases registered against him and other PTI leaders following the protests that ensued after Imran Khan's arrest. The cases were registered in Islamabad's Tarnol and Aabpara police stations, reports Geo News.

The reason for Umar's arrest is still unclear, Dawn says citing Advocate Faisal Chaudhry.

The special hearing in the Al-Qadir Trust case began amid PTI's efforts to get permission to meet Imran Khan, as sources said his legal team was not allowed to meet the former premier ahead of the hearing.

"We were stopped from meeting our client," Babar Awan, a part of Khan's legal team, told Geo News ahead of the hearing. He added that nobody is being allowed to meet the PTI chief which is against the Constitution.

The former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan was not brought to a court in F-8 Court Complex and Judicial Complex G 11/4, but the proceedings of the case were held at the location where he was under custody.

Instead of bringing the PTI chief to a regular court for the hearing, the government has declared the location of the former premier's custody — New Police Guest House, Police Lines — the venue for the proceedings, the office of Islamabad chief commissioner said in a notification.

The decision to present Khan at a special court instead of a NAB court was taken in view of security threats to his life. According to sources, the PTI chief was also shifted to an unknown place late at night from NAB's office.

The popular politician's arrest amid Pakistan's worst economic crisis in decades, with IMF loan package dwindling has sparked violence all over the country.