ISLAMABAD: A Pakistani high court on Wednesday granted bail to former prime minister Imran Khan in a land corruption case, his party confirmed in a statement, rejecting the “fabricated and politically motivated” cases against the cricketer-turned-politician. 

Government officials allege Khan, 71, and his wife received land worth millions of dollars as a bribe from a real estate tycoon Malik Riaz Hussain through the Al-Qadir Trust, a non-governmental welfare organization set up by Bushra Watto, Khan’s third wife, and Khan in 2018 when he was still in office.

The trust runs a university outside Islamabad devoted to spirituality and Islamic teachings, a project inspired by the former first lady, who is also commonly known as Bushra Bibi and has a reputation as a spiritual healer.

Khan was briefly arrested on May 9 in connection with the case, with riots breaking out throughout the country that saw military and government installations attacked. Khan was released shortly but was arrested in August in a separate case related to the sale of state gifts illegally. 

The National Accountability Bureau (NAB), Pakistan’s corruption watchdog, filed a reference against Khan in December 2023 saying he and his wife committed the offense in the land corruption case. In February this year, the former prime minister and his wife were indicted by an accountability court. 

Khan, who denied the charges, appealed against the indictment at the Islamabad High Court. A two-member bench of the IHC comprising Chief Justice Aamer Farooq and Justice Tariq Mehmood Jahangiri had reserved the verdict on Tuesday after both sides concluded their arguments.

“Islamabad High Court has accepted bail petition from the Former Prime Minister Imran Khan & has ordered his release,” Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party said in a statement. 

The PTI said it had contended that the land of the trust was not for personal gain. It said the former prime minister had established a religious and scientific educational institution with the intention of providing quality education to people regardless of caste, creed, race, religion, or financial status. 

It said that since the trust deed mentioned Khan and his wife could not derive any benefit from it, the “false, fabricated and politically motivated cases were filed against them only to damage their reputation.”

“And to keep him in prison, impeding his participation in general elections,” it added. 

Despite the order, Khan, who has been in jail since August 2023, will not be immediately released as he is serving sentences in two other cases, one in which he and his wife are charged with violating the country’s marriage law when they wed in 2018 and in another where he is accused of leaking state secrets for political gain. 

PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Tourism Authority on Tuesday announced the beginning of a popular cultural festival in Pakistan’s northwestern Chitral region, saying the event had attracted large numbers of foreign and local tourists like in the past.

The Chilam Joshi festival is celebrated by the Kalash people, who are often described as pagan due to their religious beliefs and practices involving the worship of multiple gods and spirits, to mark the arrival of spring and celebrate the bounty of nature.

Known for music, dance, and colorful clothes, the festival is also associated with the preparation for new crops, symbolizing hope and prosperity for the community.

“The ancient Kalash festival ‘Chilam Joshi’ has kicked off in full swing,” the KP tourism authority said in a statement. “Young women of Kalash danced to the beat of drums while wearing intricately embroidered garments, enhancing the colors of the festival.”

The statement added that district administration officials, members of the Kalash Development Authority and a large number of domestic and foreign tourists were also attending the festivity.

“The district administration has arranged foolproof security for the festival,” it added. “Tourism police are also providing services for the guidance of tourists.”

Chilam Joshi is said to be the oldest festival of the Kalash tribe. It involves various rituals, the most well-known being the one where people dance with walnut branches in hand.

The festival will last for three days in the area known for its rugged terrain and scenic beauty. The annual event is considered integral to the identity of the indigenous Kalash community and the continuity of its ancient traditions.