IHC dismisses FIA's appeal against Imran Khan's bail in prohibited funding case.

ISLAMABAD -- The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Wednesday dismissed the appeal of FIA seeking cancellation of interim bail of PTI's chairman Imran Khan in FIR registered under Foreign Exchange Act with regard to prohibited funding.

A two-judge bench comprising Justice Mohsin Akhter Kayani and Justice Tariq Mehmood Jahangiri heard the appeal of Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) seeking cancellation of interim bail of Imran Khan and others.

Special Prosecutor Rizwan Abbasi said that the PTI's chief had not joined the investigation process so far despite repeated notices. He said that Imran Khan had stated on TV channel that this money was a charity, but he used the said money for political purpose. Why funds of charity were transferred in the party's bank account, he asked.

He said sending charity amount to someone through foreign accounts was a crime to this Justice Kayani said it was a bailable offence and having two-year jail term.

The prosecutor said that the FIA had initiated its inquiry in light of the decision of Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).

The court asked what's wrong if charity's money was sent in party's bank account. Justice Kayani noted that the allegations in FIR were against Arif Naqvi, adding that PTI or Imran Khan was just receiver of the amount.

Justice Kayani questioned that if the money was used for political purpose then how it was a personal use. He asked were there any restrictions of State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) regarding it as the FIA had to depend it only. If the SBP had not taken notice of it then this case was not maintainable.

Justice Mohsin Akhter Kayani observed that it was the authority of the federal government or SBP to initiate an inquiry into the matter. Where the prosecution would stand if the SBP would declare these transactions as legal, he asked.

The court said that the prosecution had not included anyone from the SBP in investigation process, adding that changing someone's account's name was not a crime.

Prosecutor Raja Rizwan Abbasi said that...