Pakistan Anti-Terrorism Court Gives Bail to Former PM Imran Khan

Pakistan’s former prime minister Imran Khan on Friday appeared before an anti-terrorism court here and secured an extension to his pre-arrest bail till June 13 in three cases including an attack on a top military commander’s residence in Lahore, a court official said.

Khan, 70, who appeared before the ATC Lahore amid high security, reiterated that he faces “serious threats” to his life.

The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf: party chairman also appeared before the Lahore High Court to seek an extension to his bail in the murder case of PTI worker Zille Shah. The Lahore High Court has extended his bail in the case till June 6.

“In the ATC, Judge Ijaz Ahmad Buttar questioned why he (Khan) is not joining the investigation in the case related to the attack on Lahore Corps Commander House known as Jinnah House. Khan told him that he was facing serious threats to his life,” the court official told PTI after the hearing.

“He (Khan) said he had requested the investigators to allow him to join the probe through a video link which was declined. The judge however directed him to join the investigation and extended his bail till Jun 13,” the official said.

Violence erupted across Pakistan on May 9 when cricketer-turned-politician Khan was arrested by the National Accountability Board (NAB) from the premises of Islamabad High Court in a corruption case. Khan was released on bail two days later.

Over 20 military installations and government buildings including military headquarters in Rawalpindi were damaged during the May 9 mayhem that has been termed as the “Black Day” in the history of Pakistan.

Over 100 vehicles of police and other security agencies were also set on fire during the violence that left more than 10 persons dead.

Khan, however, said over 25 PTI workers were killed in the violence and that law enforcement agencies arrested over 10,000 PTI workers across Pakistan. As many as 4,000 of them are from Punjab.

(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed – PTI)