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Islamabad, Pakistan – An anti-terrorism court docket in Islamabad has granted interim bail to Imran Khan, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief and former prime minister, in a case registered in opposition to him final week for his remarks in opposition to senior police officers and a feminine decide.
The decide, Raja Jawad Abbas, on Thursday granted Khan bail till September 1 in opposition to a surety of 100,000 Pakistani rupees ($460).
Later within the day, extra classes decide Tahir Abbas Supra additionally granted Khan interim bail till September 7 over an illegal meeting cost in opposition to a surety of 5,000 Pakistani rupees ($22.8).
A listening to over a contempt of court docket cost will happen on August 31.
The cricketing icon-turned-politician has confronted mounting authorized challenges over the previous couple of days. The final week noticed a number of circumstances filed in opposition to him, together with one beneath anti-terrorism legal guidelines for “threatening” senior police officers and a feminine decide, in addition to contempt of court docket and illegal meeting.
Earlier than Khan arrived in court docket on Thursday, his lawyer contended that the terrorism case in opposition to the PTI chief was registered by police as an “act of revenge”.
Strict safety was in place across the judicial advanced the place the listening to happened, with legislation enforcement officers deployed exterior the courts.
The listening to
On a wet Thursday, Khan arrived on the court docket simply earlier than noon, the place he was surrounded by senior PTI leaders and occasion supporters.
In a packed courtroom, Khan’s lawyer Babar Awan mentioned that the three people Khan was accused of threatening had not filed costs.
Awan, whereas repeating Khan’s statements from the rally, questioned how Khan’s remark of “‘have some disgrace’, which is usually used colloquially, is taken into account threatening”.
After a brief listening to, the court docket granted interim bail, whereas additionally issuing notices to the prosecutor and the PTI’s legal professionals for his or her replies, and adjourned proceedings.
After the listening to, Khan spoke to reporters and criticised the state’s actions in opposition to him, saying efforts to sideline him have made the nation a “joke”.
“Pakistan is ridiculed all over the world. Shahbaz Gill is tortured and once I say that I’ll take authorized motion in opposition to these police officers who’re accountable, who despatched him again to police regardless of torture, simply due to saying that, I get booked beneath an anti-terrorism case,” he mentioned.
“The information was lined all over the world and appears as if Pakistan is a banana republic the place no rule of legislation exists.”
He added that “those that are doing this, and people behind this, they need to consider the nation”.
“We’re holding the most important rallies in Pakistan’s historical past. Simply due to that concern, they need to save themselves and making an attempt to technically knock me out.”
After his authorities was toppled in April, Khan has repeatedly held giant rallies, throughout which he has closely criticised his political opponents, state establishments, the safety forces and “neutrals”, a generally used euphemism for Pakistan’s navy institution.
The case in opposition to Khan
The police report in opposition to Khan contains testimony from Justice of the Peace Ali Javed, who mentioned he heard Khan criticise the inspector-general of Pakistan’s police and one other decide at an Islamabad rally on Saturday.
Underneath Pakistan’s authorized system, police file what is called a First Data Report (FIR) detailing costs in opposition to an accused particular person to a Justice of the Peace, who offers the inexperienced mild for the investigation to go forward. Police then arrest and query the accused.
The Justice of the Peace argued in his FIR that Khan’s speech had unfold concern and uncertainty amongst police, judges and the nation.
“Terrorism has been unfold, the nation’s peace has been harmed,” he mentioned.
Barrister Haider Rasul Mirza, a Lahore-based felony legislation knowledgeable, advised Al Jazeera that Khan’s look on the court docket had meant he was granted interim bail.
“Imran Khan has given court docket his model through his legal professionals that he fears an imminent risk of arrest since he believes the case relies on malafide [wrong] intention. Thus, after his protecting bail, the court docket has now given him safety for interim interval and can difficulty discover to prosecution to current their arguments,” Mirza mentioned.
He added that whereas Khan might be given an exemption from the subsequent listening to if his legal professionals file an enchantment on his behalf, it can’t be a “everlasting exemption”.
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