by Press Trust of IndiaAn anti-corruption court in Pakistan on Wednesday granted bail to former Prime Minister Imran Khan till June 19. The Al-Qadir Trust case involves an alleged corruption 50 billion more than Rs.
Khan appeared before an accountability court in Islamabad after the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief’s protective bail was extended by three days and directed him to seek bail from an anti-corruption court within this period. ,
Accountability Court Judge Muhammad Basheer, presiding over the hearing, granted Khan bail till June 19 on a surety of Rs 500,000.
Earlier, Khan traveled to the capital from Lahore and appeared before the Islamabad High Court (IHC) for the first time, where Justice Miangul Hasan Aurangzeb and Justice Saman Rifat Imtiaz granted him three days with a direction to approach the anti-corruption court for bail. Granted protective bail for the day.
Earlier on May 17, the court had granted him bail till May 31.
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Khawaja Haris’s lawyer was present in the court for Khan, while the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) was represented by prosecutor Muzaffar Abbasi in the alleged corruption case that led to Khan’s arrest on May 9 at the Islamabad High Court premises.
The arrest of cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan led to massive protests across Pakistan, in which more than 10 people died and thousands of PTI supporters went behind bars.
The PTI chief was released two days later by the Supreme Court with a direction to seek bail from the Islamabad High Court.
In an informal interaction with media persons on the occasion, Khan said that the country is being run by a powerful establishment. “The government and the establishment are the same thing, the latter running the former,” he said, adding that there is no option but to hold elections.
Khan is demanding early general elections in Pakistan Since he was removed from the post of Prime Minister in April last year through a vote of no confidence in the Parliament.
When asked about his loyalists leaving the party, Khan said, “It is an attempt to blackmail.” He also rejected the notion that he has differences with President Arif Alvi.
Alvi was a senior member of Khan’s PTI before being appointed as the President of Pakistan.
Separately, another division bench of the Islamabad High Court granted two bail pleas by Khan against violation of Section 144 and restrained the Islamabad police from arresting him in any case registered after May 9.
The bench extended the PTI chief’s protective bail by 10 days on both the petitions after Khan’s counsel Ali Gohar and public prosecutor Additional Attorney General Munawar Iqbal asked the police to arrest him for any crime registered in Islamabad’s jurisdiction after May 9. Stopped arresting in the case.
During the hearing, Khan’s counsel told the court that there are more than 150 cases registered against the former prime minister and he has to appear for investigation in each case.
Khan’s wife Bushra Bibi also appeared before an accountability court in the Al-Qadir Trust case to secure bail.
Judge Mohd Bashir heard the plea, while Bibi was joined by her lawyer Khawaja Harris, while NAB Deputy Prosecutor General Muzaffar Abbasi appeared for her department.
However, NAB’s investigating officer Umer Nadeem told the court that there was no need for Bibi’s arrest. “No arrest warrant has been issued for Bushra Bibi and her arrest is not required,” he told the court.
The judge declared his bail application as “infructuous” and dismissed the plea.
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