ISLAMABAD: An Islamabad court on Tuesday granted anticipatory bail to Pakistan’s jailed former prime minister Imran Khan in six separate cases ranging from alleged incitement and defamation to road blocking and violation of public order.

Judge Muhammad Afzal Majoka of the District and Sessions Court of Islamabad confirmed Khan’s interim pre-arrest bail in the cases, ordering him to furnish fresh bail bonds of Rs50,000 ($178) in each case.

Khan, 73, has been in prison since his arrest from his Lahore residence in August 2023. His wife, Bushra Imran, has also been detained and is being held at a high-security jail in Rawalpindi in connection with a graft case linked to Pakistan’s state gifts repository, commonly known as the Toshakhana.

In one of the cases related to protests that followed his brief detention on graft charges in 2023, the court noted there was no material linking him to acts attributed to co-accused.

“No material is available against petitioner regarding act of provoking which was witnessed by any witness,” the court order said.

The May 9, 2023, violence was carried out by people holding Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) flags who attacked and set ablaze government and military properties, triggering a sweeping crackdown against the party and the arrest of hundreds of its supporters.

In the six cases decided on Tuesday, the court repeatedly observed that there was “nothing on record” beyond the first information reports (FIRs) to substantiate allegations under various sections of the Pakistan Penal Code, including provisions related to abetment, public mischief and defamation.

In multiple orders, the judge ruled that the offenses fell within the “ambit of further inquiry” and confirmed the interim pre-arrest bail already granted to Khan.

The cases included allegations of making defamatory remarks against senior military officials in televised speeches, promoting unrest and violating restrictions on public gatherings.
In one of the cases, the court also confirmed the pre-arrest bail of his wife, Bushra Imran, in a separate Toshakhana-related case alleging forgery and use of fake purchase receipts for state gifts.

The former premier has been entangled in a slew of legal cases since his ouster from office in 2022, a frequent hazard for opposition figures in Pakistan. Khan and PTI say the cases are politically motivated and aimed at keeping him out of the political arena. The government denies the allegation.