In a alleviation to embattled Imran Khan, a pinnacle Pakistani courtroom docket right here granted protecting bail to the previous top minister on Friday in 8 terrorism instances and a civil case after he regarded earlier than the courtroom docket, hours after some other pinnacle courtroom docket suspended non-bailable arrest warrants towards him until March 18 in a corruption case. Khan, the 70-yr-antique leader of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party, travelled to the Lahore High Court (LHC) in a bulletproof car to are seeking for protecting bail in 9 instances.
A two-member bench of the LHC, comprising Justice Tariq Saleem Sheikh and Justice Farooq Haider carried out the listening to on bail pleas filed towards the instances which might be lodged beneathneath terrorism sections, consistent with Geo TV.
For the 5 instances in Islamabad, the courtroom docket granted bail to the PTI leader until March 24 and for the 3 instances in Lahore, Khan acquired bail until March 27, the document said. Meanwhile, Justice Saleem additionally heard the bail pleas that Khan filed towards the civil case registered towards him, it said.
Earlier, the Islamabad High Court suspended non-bailable arrest warrants issued towards Khan until March 18, presenting him with a risk to seem earlier than the district courtroom docket listening to the Toshakhana case.
Ahead of the LHC decision, a disturbing calm prevailed in Lahore`s upscale Zaman Park close to Khan’s residence, which changed into the scene of pitched battles for 2 days among his defiant supporters and Punjab Police. The clashes in the long run subsided after the courts intervened on Wednesday.
Khan has been withinside the crosshairs for getting presents, together with an high priced Graff wristwatch he had acquired because the superior at a reduced fee from the nation depository known as Toshakhana, and promoting them for profit.
Established in 1974, the Toshakhana is a branch beneathneath the executive manipulate of the Cabinet Division and shops valuable presents given to rulers, parliamentarians, bureaucrats, and officers with the aid of using heads of different governments and states and overseas dignitaries.
Khan changed into disqualified with the aid of using the Election Commission of Pakistan in October ultimate yr for now no longer sharing information of the sales.
The election frame later filed a grievance with the district courtroom docket to punish him, beneathneath crook laws, for promoting the presents he had acquired as top minister of the country. Khan has vehemently denied the ones charges.
According to Khan, he changed into dealing with over eighty distinct instances in diverse courts throughout Pakistan.
Khan, the cricketer-turned-politician, changed into ousted from electricity in April ultimate yr after dropping a no-self assurance vote, which he alleged changed into a part of a US-led conspiracy focused on him due to his impartial overseas coverage selections on Russia, China, and Afghanistan.
Since his ouster, Khan has been requesting early elections to do away with what he termed an “imported government” led with the aid of using top minister Shehbaz Sharif.
Sharif has maintained that elections could be held later this yr as soon as the parliament completes its 5-yr tenure.