Imran Khan gets bail in nine cases

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Thursday extended Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan’s protective bail in nine cases registered under terrorism charges, attempted murder and vandalism, ARY News reported.

The former prime minister appeared before the two-member bench headed by IHC Chief Justice Aamer Farooq amid tight security. The PTI chief reached the courtroom in a wheelchair.

The court approved Imran Khan’s interim bail in two cases till May 9, while extending his protective bail in seven terrorism cases till May 14. The court also ordered him to approach the relevant court within 10 days.

At the outset of the hearing, Barrister Safdar told the court 140 cases have been registered against his client. “We have requested bail in all the cases that were in our knowledge.”

The counsel urged the court to fix a day for his client to join the investigation.

During the hearing, Fawad Chaudhry criticised the security arrangements put in place by the government outside the court.

The advocate general claimed Imran Khan’s medical report was not genuine.

During the hearing, Chaudhry got into an argument with Advocate General Jahangir Jadoon, at which the court expressed annoyance.

In a special message to the general public before leaving Islamabad, Imran Khan said he was going to Islamabad to appear before the high court despite swelling in his feet.

Lashing out at the ruling coalition, he said it was running away from elections and for this it was going against the Constitution of Pakistan and the CJP. Such elements were sparking a divide among Supreme Court’s judges, he added.

“I’m appealing to the nation to come out for showing their solidarity with the CJP on Saturday evening.” Imran Khan said rallies will be taken out in Lahore, Rawalpindi and Peshawar.

“They are scared of elections as they have triggered unemployment and inflation in country,” he said.

The former premier said attempts were made to ‘kill’ him in Wazirabad and Judicial Complex Islamabad, but God saved him.

Yesterday, Khan asserted that he has no regret in dissolving Punjab and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KP) assemblies, terming the move party’s ‘constitutional right’.

Speaking to a private news channel, the former premier reiterated that the Constitution stipulates that elections are held within 90 days of the dissolution of an assembly.