ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court on Monday prevented the authorities from arresting Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan until August 9 in a case concerning the murder of a lawyer in Quetta. Senior lawyer Abdul Razzaq Shar was killed on June 6 by unidentified people while on his way to court for an important hearing in the Balochistan High Court (BHC).

A day later, the police registered a case nominating the PTI chief in the first information report (FIR) on the complaint of the slain lawyer’s son. Advocate Shar had submitted an application against Imran, seeking registration of a treason case against him for violating the Constitution.

However, the case could not be heard because of the absence of the bench, while members of the legal fraternity boycotted court proceedings against the killing of the senior lawyer. The PTI chief had moved the apex court against his nomination in the case.

Notably, the SC had ordered the PTI chief to appear before the bench in person during the last hearing. "To get relief the petitioner has to appear in person and surrender before the court," Justice Afridi had remarked.

A three-member bench of the SC headed by Justice Yahya Afridi and including Justice Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi and Justice Musarrat Hilali heard the application today. During the hearing, the lawyer of the Balochistan government requested the court to at least ask the former premier to appear before the joint interrogation team (JIT). Justice Afridi remarked that the court will not issue any such order at present. Justice Hilali observed that the petitioner has challenged the contents of the FIR. The petitioner's lawyer Latif Khosa said that the JIT is controversial, and "we do not accept it".

Earlier, the IG Balochistan submitted the investigation report of Shar's murder case to the court, which stated that according to the FIR, the victim was being threatened for filing a petition under Article 6 against Imran. The report stated that during the investigation, a seven-member JIT was formed by the Ministry of Interior on June 8. Since then, eight meetings of the JIT have been held under the chairmanship of DIG CTD.

The JIT had decided to investigate four individuals on the matter, one of which was the PTI chief, the report revealed. Summons notices were sent to the deposed premier on June 19 in this regard. According to the document submitted the statements of the deceased's wife and two brothers have also been recorded. However, to date, Imran has not participated in the investigation despite the authorities having sent him several notices. Investigation of the case is still ongoing, the police report added. The bench however prevented the police from carrying out the PTI chief's arrest in the matter and postponed the proceedings until August 9.