Islamabad: Former Prime Minister of Pakistan Imran Khan He won bail in several cases from an anti-terrorism court in Islamabad, a temporary relief that could help calm his supporters and ease tensions with the powerful military and government.
His lawyer Mohammad Ali Bokhari said over the phone on Tuesday that the former cricketer has been granted bail till June 8. However, he still faces dozens of other charges, including corruption, concealment of assets and insulting a female judge – all of which he denies.
Khan is to appear before the court later on Tuesday national accountability bureau Under investigation for corruption charges against him. The opposition leader warned ahead of the hearing that he was likely to be arrested again, but called on his supporters to remain peaceful if he is detained.
The anti-corruption agency’s initial decision to detain Khan, sending paramilitary forces to arrest him in Islamabad on 9 May, led to violent protests across the country that left at least eight people dead. It also signals an escalation of tensions between Khan and the country’s powerful military, which has now vowed to prosecute those responsible for attacks on army properties under military law.
The deepening political crisis has come to the fore as Pakistan grapples with its worst economic crisis in decades, facing low foreign reserves, record inflation and interest rates and a stalled aid package from the International Monetary Fund.
His lawyer Mohammad Ali Bokhari said over the phone on Tuesday that the former cricketer has been granted bail till June 8. However, he still faces dozens of other charges, including corruption, concealment of assets and insulting a female judge – all of which he denies.
Khan is to appear before the court later on Tuesday national accountability bureau Under investigation for corruption charges against him. The opposition leader warned ahead of the hearing that he was likely to be arrested again, but called on his supporters to remain peaceful if he is detained.
The anti-corruption agency’s initial decision to detain Khan, sending paramilitary forces to arrest him in Islamabad on 9 May, led to violent protests across the country that left at least eight people dead. It also signals an escalation of tensions between Khan and the country’s powerful military, which has now vowed to prosecute those responsible for attacks on army properties under military law.
The deepening political crisis has come to the fore as Pakistan grapples with its worst economic crisis in decades, facing low foreign reserves, record inflation and interest rates and a stalled aid package from the International Monetary Fund.