Imran Khan gets protective bail in 8 terrorism cases, one civil case

In a major relief to Pakistan's former Prime Minister Imran Khan has been granted protective bail to in eight terrorism cases by a Pakistani court and a civil case.

It comes hours after the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Friday suspended non-bailable arrest warrants issued till March 18, providing him with a chance to appear before the trial court hearing the Toshakhana reference against him.

The cricketer-turned-politician travelled to the Lahore High Court (LHC) in a bulletproof vehicle to seek protective bail in nine cases.

Khan, the 70-year-old chief of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, travelled to the Lahore High Court (LHC) in a bulletproof vehicle to seek protective bail in nine cases.

A two-member bench of the LHC, comprising Justice Tariq Saleem Sheikh and Justice Farooq Haider conducted the hearing on bail pleas filed against the cases that are lodged under terrorism sections, according to Geo TV.

For the five cases in Islamabad, the court granted bail to the PTI chief till March 24 and for the three cases in Lahore, Khan received bail till March 27, the report said.

Meanwhile, Justice Saleem also heard the bail pleas that Khan filed against the civil case registered against him, it said.

Earlier, the Islamabad High Court suspended non-bailable arrest warrants issued against Khan till March 18, providing him with a chance to appear before the district court hearing the Toshakhana case. Ahead of the LHC decision, a tense calm prevailed in Lahore's upscale Zaman Park near Khan's residence, which was the scene of pitched battles for two days between his defiant supporters and Punjab Police.

The clashes ultimately subsided after the courts intervened on Wednesday. Khan has been in the crosshairs for buying gifts, including an expensive Graff wristwatch he had received as the premier at a discounted price from the state depository called Toshakhana, and selling them for profit.

Established in 1974, the Toshakhana is a department under the administrative control of the Cabinet Division and stores precious gifts given to rulers, parliamentarians, bureaucrats, and officials by heads of other governments and states and foreign dignitaries.

Khan was disqualified by the Election Commission of Pakistan in October last year for not sharing details of the sales. The election body later filed a complaint with the district court to punish him, under criminal laws, for selling the gifts he had received as prime minister of the country.

Khan has vehemently denied those charges. According to Khan, he was facing over 80 different cases in various courts across Pakistan. Khan, the cricketer-turned-politician, was ousted from power in April last year after losing a no-confidence vote, which he alleged was part of a US-led conspiracy targeting him because of his independent foreign policy decisions on Russia, China, and Afghanistan. Since his ouster, Khan has been asking for early elections to remove what he termed an "imported government" led by prime minister Shehbaz Sharif. Sharif has maintained that elections will be held later this year once the parliament completes its five-year tenure.

The cricketer-turned-politician's residence had become a battlefield between his party workers, police and Rangers for the last few days over his 'arrest operation' in the Toshakhana case. The PTI workers, however, succeeded in foiling his arrest attempt and the operation was halted till Friday on the Lahore High Court's order.

The Pakistan's ousted Prime Minister has alleged that the state wanted to "torture and kill him in police custody." "We had reports that they (a reference to PML-N led government and the military establishment) wanted to arrest me so that they torture me first and then kill me," Khan was quite categorical while talking to a group of senior journalists at his Zaman Park residence here on Thursday.

Khan, who in November last had survived an attempt on his life in a rally in Punjab, further said the incumbent government has nothing to do with the rule of law as it wanted to eliminate him with help of its 'facilitators' to remain in power.

The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief was citing the examples of the brutal murder of senior journalist Arshad Sharif, the inhumane torture of his party's senior leaders like Azam Swati and Shehbaz Gill at the hands of the intelligence agencies men in police custody.

"Similar plan was afoot in my case. They launched the police-rangers operation to arrest him so that they could torture and kill me," he said.

"My party workers also were wary of this naked fact. That is why they put up strong resistance to thwart my arrest plan," he said.

Khan also disclosed how close some Rangers and police personnel were to arresting him. "During the police operation, some Rangers and police personnel managed to enter my house and (were) close to arrest me but God invoked a soft corner in them for me and they left without arresting me," Khan claimed.

With inputs from PTI