NEW DELHI: Former Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan on Monday thwarted the government’s plan to arrest him by personally appearing before the Lahore High Court, which granted him protective bail till March 3 in a case linked to violent protests by his supporters following his disqualification by the election commission.
Justice Tariq Saleem Sheikh had directed 70-year-old Khan to appear before the court for a hearing of his protective bail petition in the case. His court appearance came amid high drama as hundreds of supporters thronged the court premises to show their support for the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader. Imran overshot the deadline of reaching the court by 5 pm as he could reach only at 7.30 pm as a massive crowd of PTI supporters prevented him from entering.
During the hearing, Imran said he respected the courts and added his doctors had advised him against walking due to his leg injury. “My party’s name is Tehreek-e-Insaf (movement for justice) and I expect the same from courts,” he said.
Earlier, Imran’s counsel had requested the court to verify his client’s presence through the court staff as the PTI chief was facing difficulty in entering the court due to security reasons. However, the court rejected the request and ordered the security in charge to present the politician before the bench.
A two-member bench led by Justice Ali Baqar Najafi granted the protective bail and refrained police or any other agency from arresting Khan. Justice Najafi also appreciated Khan for submitting to the law. Teams of the Federal Investigation Agency and police were present in the court to arrest Khan in case of denial of bail. This was the first time Khan appeared before a court of law after he sustained bullet injuries in November last year’s attack during his rally in Punjab province.
Two hours for 10-minute distance
Thousands of workers of Khan’s party thronged the route from his Lahore residence to the high court, forcing him to take two hours to cover a 10-minute distance