ISLAMABAD: PTI chief Imran Khan was granted interim pre-arrest bail in two cases registered against him in connection with a PTI rally held in Islamabad on August 20.
The former prime minister has been booked in a terrorism case for his controversial remarks about a female judge at the rally while a separate first information report (FIR) has been registered against him on charges of violating Section 144 (ban on public gatherings exceeding four persons) in the capital on the day of the rally.
Imran’s bail plea in the case pertaining to his remarks about the judge was heard at an anti-terrorism court (ATC) in the capital on Thursday, with Judge Raja Jawad Abbas Hassan granting him interim bail till September 1 against a surety of Rs100,000.
Later, additional sessions judge Tahir Abbas Supra granted him interim bail till September 7 in the case pertaining to the alleged violation of Section 144. This relief was provided against a surety of Rs5,000.
Meanwhile, lashing out at the coalition government over lodging a terrorism case against him, PTI Chairman Imran Khan on Thursday said that Pakistan has become a laughing stock all over the world and headlines are published in international media.
Speaking outside the Federal Judicial Academy in Islamabad after appearing before an anti-terrorism case, Imran Khan said, “When I raised my voice against the sexual abuse of Shahbaz Gill and said that I will take legal action, a terror case was filed against me.”
The magistrate, he claimed, despite knowing that Gill was tortured in custody again handed over him to the police. “The case against me has become an international story and it seemed that Pakistan is a banana republic.”
His statement comes as a couple of US media outlets published stories and pictures of him commenting on the terror case filed against him.
“Whoever is making these decisions or should think of the country,” Imran Khan said, adding they are trying to arrest the leader of the biggest party in this case.
“They are afraid of the power of Tehreek-e-Insaf, there have not been such big rallies in the history of Pakistan,” he said.
Imran Khan doing technical knockouts out of fear to save himself, this is making fun of Pakistan. The PTI chairman said that they [coalition government] are trying to knock him out on technical grounds due to the fear of the PTI’s popularity.
Bail granted in terror case
Earlier, the PTI chairman was granted pre-arrest bail by the ATC in a terrorism case filed against him for threatening senior police officials and a judge in a public rally till September 1.
On August 21, a first information report (FIR) was registered against Imran Khan under the Anti-Terrorism Act for threatening an additional sessions judge and senior police officers of the Islamabad Police at a rally in the federal capital’s F-9 Park on August 20.
The PTI chairman appeared in person before the court where ATC judge Raja Jawwad Abbas heard his plea.
Terming the terrorism case against Imran Khan “political victimization”, his counsels Babar Awan and Muhammad Ali Bukhari have filed a petition in the ATC seeking their client’s pre-arrest bail.
After hearing arguments, the ATC judge granted Imran Khan interim bail till September 1 against Rs100,000 surety bond. The court also issued notices to the police and the plaintiff in the case.
Address in Haripur
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chairman and former prime minister Imran Khan on Wednesday while reiterating his demand for early elections, urged the party workers and his supporters to await his call to steer the country out of the quagmire.
“We have to free Pakistan from these thieves,” Imran declared while addressing a crowded public meeting in Haripur, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KP)
PTI Chairman Imran Khan asked of the entire nation to prepare and wait for his call, warning Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif that his government would not be able to stop the sea of people when they will gather in Islamabad from all four provinces.
Referring to the visit of Premier Shehbaz to Qatar, Imran Khan said that Shehbaz Sharif, along with 40 other “thieves”, had gone to Qatar for “begging”, adding but no one will give them money as everyone knows that they [incumbent rulers] are thieves.
The PTI chief maintained that fresh and fair elections are necessary for the political and economic stability in the country. Imran told the participants of the rally that 220 million people were being enslaved through a “regime change conspiracy.”
Imran said that Pakistan was defamed for registering a case with terrorism charges against him. “The imported government has planned to arrest me as if I were a major terrorist.”
He said that the Indian government never makes a decision where it sacrifices the lives of its citizens for someone else. “We lost lives of 80,000 Pakistanis for participating in the American war… We will not sacrifice our people for any country for the sake of our foreign policy.”
The PTI chief said that when his government tried to buy cheap oil from Russia, they were removed from power via a conspiracy and an “imported government” was imposed upon the nation.
“The nation will never accept them and I will stand for the rights of my nation,” he added.
The ousted premier said that PTI leader Shahbaz Gill left his job in the US and came to Pakistan but he was sent to jail. “What did I say that cases were registered against me,” he questioned.
He said that the PTI was not against institutions. “We have only one demand and that is to conduct free and transparent elections in the country.”