Pakistan court grants pre-arrest bail to former PM Imran Khan
Khan's party had moved Islamabad High Court for a pre-arrest bail after police had filed terrorism charges against him over accusations of threatening government officials in a public speech.
Police filed terrorism charges against Imran Khan, escalating political tensions in the country as the ousted premier holds mass rallies seeking to return to office.
Pakistan's Islamabad High Court has granted pre-arrest bail to former premier Imran Khan till August 25 and ordered him to appear before the anti-terrorism court in three days.
The bail was granted on Monday as political tension in Pakistan deepened after authorities registered a case against Khan under the Anti-Terrorism Act.
Earlier, hundreds of his supporters reached his residence in Bani Gala near the capital Islamabad to show solidarity.
A police case was filed against Khan for threatening government officials in a public speech about the alleged police torture of one of his aides, who faces sedition charges for inciting mutiny in the powerful military.
"If Imran Khan is arrested ... we will take over Islamabad with people's power," a former minister in his cabinet, Ali Amin Gandapur, threatened on Twitter, as some party leaders urged supporters to prepare for mass mobilisation.
If imran khan is arrested by the imported govt we will take over Islamabad and my message to police is that don’t be part of this political war anymore otherwise will deal u as pdm workers not police anymore let pti and pdm leadership and workers fight and decide once and for all
— Ali Amin Khan Gandapur (@AliAminKhanPTI) August 21, 2022
Another former ministerial colleague, Murad Saeed, told domestic television channels that the police had issued orders for Khan's arrest.
Islamabad police declined to confirm this, however.
Khan's aide, Fawad Chaudhry, told reporters outside an Islamabad court that the party had applied for bail for the leader ahead of any arrest.
Anti-terrorism laws
The use of anti-terrorism laws as the basis of cases against political leaders is not uncommon in Pakistan, where Khan's government also used them against opponents and critics.
Saturday's police report, seen by Reuters news agency, cited Khan's comments that he "would not spare" Islamabad's police chief and a female judge for the arrest of his aide.
"The purpose of the speech was to spread terror amongst the police and the judiciary and prevent them from doing their duty," police said in the report.
Pakistani police file terrorism charges against former PM Imran Khan, escalating political tensions in country pic.twitter.com/uDhi8TzZvU
— TRT World Now (@TRTWorldNow) August 22, 2022
The military has also become a target for Khan, who has said it did not help him ward off a US conspiracy that toppled him, a charge Washington has denied.
The military, which has ruled directly for over three decades of Pakistan's 75-year history, has rebuffed Khan's claim. It also denies meddling in politics.
Pakistan's electronic media regulator has banned the live transmission of Khan's speeches as being inflammatory.
READ MORE: Pakistan's former premier Imran Khan booked for 'terrorising' police, judge
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