Pakistani court grants ex-PM Khan protective bail in nine cases

ISLAMABAD: A Pakistani court on Friday granted former prime minister Imran Khan protective bail in nine different cases registered against him in Lahore and Islamabad, eight of which were lodged on terrorism charges.
A divisional bench of the Lahore High Court (LHC) comprising Justice Tariq Saleem Sheikh and Justice Farooq Haider granted protective bail to Khan in terrorism cases registered in Islamabad and Lahore until March 24 and March 27, respectively.
The court also granted the ex-premier bail until March 27 in a separate case against him in the murder of one of his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party supporters, Ali Bilal, in Lahore.
The high court held its proceedings after the former prime minister reached its premises with a large caravan of supporters. A number of lawyers were also present there to express solidarity with him.
“I believe in the rule of law,” Khan said while speaking in the courtroom. “I cannot even think of not appearing before the courts.”
However, he mentioned the security threats to his life, saying he had already escaped an assassination attempt, and a suicide attack had taken place in Islamabad’s district and sessions courts in the past where he was supposed to appear in a case involving the sale of state gifts that is popularly known as the Toshakhana reference.
Khan thanked the court for halting a police operation outside his Zaman Park residence in the eastern city of Lahore which was launched for his arrest after a district court issued his non-bailable warrants for avoiding its hearings in the same case.
“There are 94 cases against me,” he told the high court. “If six more are registered, it will make it a century.”
Khan’s lawyer Azhar Siddique urged the court to direct federal and provincial authorities to inform the PTI chief about the number of cases filed against him in Punjab and Islamabad. The court sought a detailed report on the matter by Tuesday, instructing the police not to take any disciplinary action against him.
As Khan is scheduled to appear before the Islamabad district court on Saturday in the Toshakhana case, his chief of staff Senator Shibli Faraz held a meeting with the top police officials in federal capital to finalize security measures.
“It has been decided to appoint a chief security officer to ensure Imran Khan’s security,” the capital territory police said in a statement after the meeting, adding that a limited number of people would be allowed on the court premises as directed by the judge.
Earlier in the day, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) suspended the non-bailable arrest warrants against Khan until March 18, giving him another opportunity to appear before the district and sessions court in Islamabad to face charges in the Toshakhana reference.
IHC Chief Justice Aamer Farooq also asked the relevant authorities to ensure adequate security for Khan.
“The court has suspended Imran Khan’s arrest warrants in Toshakhana case,” advocate Naeem Haider, a member of Khan’s legal team, told Arab News. “We have given an undertaking in the court that Khan will be appearing in the trial court tomorrow.”
The district court in Islamabad had dismissed Khan’s plea for the cancellation of the arrest warrants in the Toshakhana case. In a petition filed on Friday, Khan asked the IHC to set aside the trial court’s order.
“The impugned order is harsh, unreasonable and not sustainable in law,” his petition to the IHC said.
Legal experts said Khan would have to defend all the cases against him in the courts to prove he was being politically victimized.
“Khan’s opponents are making sure that he could be indicted in the Toshakhana case on his appearance in the district court tomorrow,” senior lawyer Muhammad Ahmad Pansota told Arab News.
“Once he is indicted, the court may conclude the case quickly which may result in his conviction, and subsequent disqualification from holding a public office.”