Pakistan court grants interim bail to former PM Imran Khan

Decide grants bail till September 1 after Khan was charged beneath anti-terror regulation for ‘threats’ to police and a decide.

Imran Khan surrounded by senior PTI leaders and get together supporters [Abid Hussain/Al Jazeera]

Islamabad, Pakistan – An anti-terrorism courtroom in Islamabad has granted interim bail to Imran Khan, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief and former prime minister, in a case registered towards him final week for his remarks towards senior police officers and a feminine decide.

The decide, Raja Jawad Abbas, on Thursday granted Khan bail till September 1 towards a surety of 100,000 Pakistani rupees ($460).

Later within the day, further periods decide Tahir Abbas Supra additionally granted Khan interim bail till September 7 over an illegal meeting cost towards a surety of 5,000 Pakistani rupees ($22.8).

A listening to over a contempt of courtroom cost will happen on August 31.

The cricketing icon-turned-politician has confronted mounting authorized challenges over the previous couple of days. The final week noticed a number of circumstances filed towards him, together with one beneath anti-terrorism legal guidelines for “threatening” senior police officers and a feminine decide, in addition to contempt of courtroom and illegal meeting.

Earlier than Khan arrived in courtroom on Thursday, his lawyer contended that the terrorism case towards the PTI chief was registered by police as an “act of revenge”.

Strict safety was in place across the judicial advanced the place the listening to befell, with regulation enforcement officers deployed outdoors the courts.

The listening to

On a wet Thursday, Khan arrived on the courtroom simply earlier than noon, the place he was surrounded by senior PTI leaders and get together supporters.

In a packed courtroom, Khan’s lawyer Babar Awan stated that the three people Khan was accused of threatening had not filed fees.

Awan, whereas repeating Khan’s statements from the rally, questioned how Khan’s remark of “‘have some disgrace’, which is usually used colloquially, is taken into account threatening”.

After a brief listening to, the courtroom granted interim bail, whereas additionally issuing notices to the prosecutor and the PTI’s attorneys for his or her replies, and adjourned proceedings.

Khan’s lawyer Babar Awan stated the three people Khan was accused of threatening had not filed fees [Abid Hussain/Al Jazeera]

After the listening to, Khan spoke to reporters and criticised the state’s actions towards him, saying efforts to sideline him have made the nation a “joke”.

“Pakistan is ridiculed around the globe. Shahbaz Gill is tortured and once I say that I'll take authorized motion towards these police officers who're accountable, who despatched him again to police regardless of torture, simply due to saying that, I get booked beneath an anti-terrorism case,” he stated.

“The information was lined around the globe and appears as if Pakistan is a banana republic the place no rule of regulation exists.”

He added that “those that are doing this, and people behind this, they need to consider the nation”.

“We're holding the most important rallies in Pakistan’s historical past. Simply due to that worry, they need to save themselves and making an attempt to technically knock me out.”

After his authorities was toppled in April, Khan has repeatedly held giant rallies, throughout which he has closely criticised his political opponents, state establishments, the safety forces and “neutrals”, a generally used euphemism for Pakistan’s army institution.

The case towards Khan

The police report towards Khan consists of testimony from Justice of the Peace Ali Javed, who stated he heard Khan criticise the inspector-general of Pakistan’s police and one other decide at an Islamabad rally on Saturday.

Underneath Pakistan’s authorized system, police file what is called a First Data Report (FIR) detailing fees towards an accused particular person to a Justice of the Peace, who provides the inexperienced mild for the investigation to go forward. Police then arrest and query the accused.

The Justice of the Peace argued in his FIR that Khan’s speech had unfold worry and uncertainty amongst police, judges and the nation.

“Terrorism has been unfold, the nation’s peace has been harmed,” he stated.

Barrister Haider Rasul Mirza, a Lahore-based legal regulation professional, advised Al Jazeera that Khan’s look on the courtroom had meant he was granted interim bail.

“Imran Khan has given courtroom his model by way of his attorneys that he fears an imminent menace of arrest since he believes the case relies on malafide [wrong] intention. Thus, after his protecting bail, the courtroom has now given him safety for interim interval and can challenge discover to prosecution to current their arguments,” Mirza stated.

He added that whereas Khan could be given an exemption from the following listening to if his attorneys file an attraction on his behalf, it can't be a “everlasting exemption”.