VIDEO: Pakistani court grants bail to former PM Imran in terrorism case
Imran Khan (C) arrives to appear before an Anti-Terrorist Court in Islamabad on Thursday. AFP
Tariq Butt, Correspondent / AFP / AP
Former prime minister and Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan accused the government on Thursday of trying to score a “technical knockout” against him, after being granted bail on charges brought under the country’s anti-terrorism act.
Imran’s court appearance is the latest twist in months of political wrangling that began when he was ousted by a vote of no confidence in the national assembly in April.
The anti-terrorism court also barred police from arresting Imran through the end of the month, officials said. Imran Khan is accused of making verbal threats to police officers and a judge in his speech at a rally over the weekend.
The latest development comes days after the government of Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif levelled terrorism charges against Imran, escalating political tensions and drawing nationwide condemnation from his PTI party.
The former cricket star retains widespread support, however, staging mass rallies railing against Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif’s government and scoring successes in recent provincial assembly by-elections.
A court judgement was not immediately available, but officials from Imran’s PTI party said he had been granted “interim bail” until Sept.1. The latest allegations against Imran stem from a weekend rally when he criticised a magistrate responsible for keeping a PTI official in police custody, after party leaders said he was “tortured.”
Outside the court, Imran repeated his criticism of the judge and said the government was running scared because of his popularity. “Due to that fear, they are looking for technical knockouts. Just to save themselves, they are making a mockery of the country,” he said.
Earlier, Imran Khan's lawyer Babar Awan requested the court to grant bail to ex-PM, who is the country's popular opposition leader. Arriving at court, Imran was asked to walk toward the courtroom as ordinary suspects do. The court agreed to extend Imran's protection from arrest until Sept. 1.
Hundreds of Imran Khan's supporters gathered outside the court building, chanting slogans against Shahbaz Sharif's government. Demonstrators said Imran is being politically victimised by Shahbaz's government.
The former cricket star retains widespread support, however, staging mass rallies railing against Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif’s government and scoring successes in recent provincial assembly by-elections.
Thursday’s appearance of Imran before an anti-terrorism tribunal amid tight security was the latest development in the saga between Pakistan’s government and Imran Khan, who has been holding mass rallies, seeking to return to power.
Imran is also to appear before the Islamabad High Court on Aug.31 to face contempt proceedings on charges of threatening a judge. His conviction, in this case, will mean his disqualification from politics for life under Pakistani law. No convicted person can run for office.
There are some renewed efforts being made from within the PTI and by Punjab Chief Minister Chaudhry Pervez Elahi to stop Imran from confronting the military establishment, said a report.
Quoting unnamed informed sources, it said that from the PTI, the person who is working really hard in this respect is Faisal Vawda. Pervez Khattak is also making efforts.
Elahi and his son Moonis are also pressing Imran to cool down. The PTI chairman is being advised that confrontation with the establishment will not benefit the party or him. He is warned that it will be damaging for the PTI as well as for the institution and the country.
The sources indicate that these efforts may soften Imran vis-a-vis the military establishment and in the coming days such a change could be noticed. There are many in the PTI leadership, who are unhappy with Imran’s aggression towards the establishment but only a few dare to talk about this on the PTI chief’s face, the report said.
There are some hawkish elements in the party who not only endorse Imran’s hard talk against the military but also poison him with conspiracy theories and wrong information in order to fuel the confrontation, according to the report.
