By The South Asia Times

ISLAMABAD - Pakistani authorities on Saturday arrested the former prime minister Imran Khan for the second time in three months following a local court announced its controversial verdict in his Tosha Khan case. 

A local court judge’s Hamayun Dilawar in Islamabad sentenced Khan to three years in prison and imposed Rs 100,000 [$355] fine on him. 

The judge announced its verdict in the absence of Khan and soon after the court order police arrested the former cricket star turned politician from his residence in Lahore.

However, a senior Advocate Supreme Court of Pakistan Azhar Siddique raised questions over the verdict and said, how a judge could write 30 pages verdict in 30 minutes and how police could reach Lahore from Islamabad in 43 minutes while the journey between the two cities is more than four hours. 

“The judgment was reserved at 12 o'clock and by 30 minutes a 30-page judgment was written and the 30-page judgment was announced in 30 minutes.

“Fastest justice and arrest!!

12:44 - The verdict is announced

01:10 - Imran Khan arrested

01:03- Election Commission issued [Khan disqualification] notification

01:27 - Islamabad Police reached Lahore

01:31 - Police left for Islamabad along with Tehreek-e-Insaf Chairman [Khan],” he tweeted.

He added that the verdict is malicious and premeditated, therefore the high court could suspend it.

Khan’s lawyer and his legal spokesperson Shoaib Shaheen accused the police to broken the gate of Khan’s house in Zaman Park and entered in the house and arrested him without any warrants.

“The biased judge gave the decision without hearing it, the decision has not been written yet, the warrant of arrest has not been issued, IG Islamabad or any of his representatives have not reached Lahore, only on the verbal decision, Lahore police broke the gates of Zaman Park and Imran Khan was arrested and taken away. If this is the procedure, then where did the law go?” He wrote on Twitter.

Meanwhile, Khan’s lawyers also filed a petition in the high court and requested for immediate hearing against the arrest of Khan.

The verdict has been widely criticized in the South Asian country as Khan and his lawyers repeatedly show no confidence in Judge Dilawar and demanded to not hear his case as he is biased. However, despite objections and no trust, the judge heard the case and also sentenced him. 

It’s also important to mention that today was the last day of judge Dilawar as from tomorrow he will go on summer vacations. 

• Lahore Bar Association's reaction 

The country’s largest Bar Association, Lahore High Court Bar Association called the judge Dilawar verdict is serious violation of fair trial and said the judge ignored the high court yesterday order.

“The haste in which the Additional Sessions Judge Islamabad sentenced Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan in the Tosha Khana case is a serious violation of fair trial and related laws and while passing the sentence [while] the recent decision of Islamabad High Court was also ignored,” said the lawyers association in a statement.

“This decision was given by depriving the Chairman Tehreek-e-Insaf of the right to defense, which is sad.

“In this way, this decision hastily and without fulfilling the requirements of the law shows that behind this decision are the forces that do not want to allow the democratic system to work in the country and there is also concern that those who are part of the government coalition. Politicians are supporting this process, they are ignoring the fact that in the future they may also face such situations from undemocratic forces.”

The lawyers also expressed concerns and displeasure over the role of judges in the current situation and said many innocent people are behind bars for the last three months and Lahore High Court not hearing their bail applications.

The lawyers were referring to Khan’s supporters as hundreds of his party workers were arrested by police following the May 9 violent protest and still many of them are in jail.