ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Islamabad high court granted interim bail to former prime minister and Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan on Tuesday, hours after a sessions court issued a non-bailable arrest warrant against him for skipping hearings in the Toshakhana case pertaining to purchase of gifts from the state depository.
Imran was required to appear in person in four cases, including one for attempted murder, that were scheduled to be heard in different courts in Islamabad during the course of the day.
Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) lawmaker Moshin Nawaz Ranjha had filed the attempted murder case against Imran last October after being attacked outside the Election Commission’s office in Islamabad, where PTI workers and supporters were protesting against the disqualification of their party chief from parliament over the Toshakhana case.
A terrorism case was also filed against him over a violent protest by PTI supporters outside the electoral body’s office against its decision to disqualify him.
The civilian Federal Investigation Agency had booked Imran and other PTI leaders weeks earlier in connection with their party allegedly receiving prohibited funding. The case was filed by the state through the agency’s corporate banking circle in Islamabad.
Imran travelled from Lahore, where he has been recuperating from a gunshot injury, to reach Islamabad’s judicial complex, which houses the banking court as well as the anti-terrorism court.
While he got bail in three cases, the sessions court issued a non-bailable arrest warrant in the Toshakhana case and adjourned the hearing till March 7. Soon after this setback, Imran reached the Islamabad HC, which granted him pre-arrest bail until March 9 against a surety of Rs 1 lakh ($480).
Imran was required to appear in person in four cases, including one for attempted murder, that were scheduled to be heard in different courts in Islamabad during the course of the day.
Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) lawmaker Moshin Nawaz Ranjha had filed the attempted murder case against Imran last October after being attacked outside the Election Commission’s office in Islamabad, where PTI workers and supporters were protesting against the disqualification of their party chief from parliament over the Toshakhana case.
A terrorism case was also filed against him over a violent protest by PTI supporters outside the electoral body’s office against its decision to disqualify him.
The civilian Federal Investigation Agency had booked Imran and other PTI leaders weeks earlier in connection with their party allegedly receiving prohibited funding. The case was filed by the state through the agency’s corporate banking circle in Islamabad.
Imran travelled from Lahore, where he has been recuperating from a gunshot injury, to reach Islamabad’s judicial complex, which houses the banking court as well as the anti-terrorism court.
While he got bail in three cases, the sessions court issued a non-bailable arrest warrant in the Toshakhana case and adjourned the hearing till March 7. Soon after this setback, Imran reached the Islamabad HC, which granted him pre-arrest bail until March 9 against a surety of Rs 1 lakh ($480).
