The Lahore High Court on Monday granted Imran Khan preventive bail from arrest until March 3 in a case involving protests outside the Election Commission of Pakistan office. In the second case, the decision on his bail hearing is still pending.
High Court Justice Ali Baqar Najafi granted bail to the 70-year-old Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf chief following a high-stakes drama outside the Lahore High Court premises. Outside the court, a large crowd of PTI supporters had gathered to greet Khan as he arrived for his hearing. He granted two deadlines for appearing before the bench: 5 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
As Khan’s convoy made its way to the court, social media was flooded with videos of convoy being showered with rose petals. A massive police presence was deployed at the Court’s main entrance.
An Anti-terror Court in Islamabad denied the ex-PM’s plea for an extension of his interim bail in the case last week.
Following the disqualification of their leader in the Toshakhana case, his party workers took to the streets outside the Pakistan EC offices, prompting the filing of a terrorism case against the former cricket captain last October.
Protesting PTI workers and police officers clashed in cities such as Islamabad, Peshawar, and Karachi. In October, last year, the Court granted Khan pre-arrest bail and summoned him on several occasions. However, the PTI leader had failed to appear in court, citing medical reasons for injuries sustained in an assassination attempt.
