The Islamabad High Court on Friday granted Imran Khan two weeks of bail in a Al-Qadir Trust case, a day after the Supreme Court declared his arrest “invalid and unlawful.”
Imran Khan was also granted bail by the Islamabad High Court in all other cases filed against him in Islamabad’s jurisdiction till Wednesday, May 17.
Khan’s arrest was upheld by the Islamabad High Court, but a three-member Supreme Court bench on Thursday pronounced his imprisonment “illegal” and ordered his immediate release.
Due to security concerns, the hearing on Friday was delayed by over two hours. The cricketer-turned-politician arrived in a secure convoy at the Islamabad High Court and entered the premises escorted by dozens Pakistani police and paramilitaries.
“The court has granted Imran Khan interim bail for two weeks and has directed the authorities not to arrest him in the [graft] case,” Khan’s lawyer Khawaja Harris stated.
Khan signalled his followers by raising a single fist above his head.
However, the legal saga appears far from over.
The interior ministry has pledged to re-arrest Khan, who is embroiled in a plethora of judicial proceedings.
Khan was ousted as Prime Minister last April, was arrested from outside the Islamabad High Court on Tuesday in the Al-Qadir Trust case after the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), the country’s top anti-corruption authority, issued an arrest warrant against him.
The arrest by paramilitary Rangers sparked fatal riots across the country, requiring the Army to be called in. According to authorities and hospitals, at least nine individuals died as a result of the unrest.
Khan has accused senior military and government officials of plotting his assassination in November, during which he was shot in the leg during a rally.
General elections are scheduled for October, and the former cricketer has accused the unstable existing coalition government of attempting to replace him in collusion with top generals.
Khan’s popularity has remained high since his ouster.
His detention happened this week after the army chastised him for reiterating suspicions that they were engaged in his assassination attempt.
