PAKISTAN: The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Monday granted former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan protective bail in a case relating to violent protests outside the election commission.
A massive number of PTI, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s lead supporters showed up in front of the court in order to show their support and solidarity to their leader in front of tight security ahead of the hearing of Imran Khan’s bail application.
TV footage revealed how rose petals were showered on Khan’s convoy as he progressed towards the court with slogans being chanted in his favour.
Justice Tariq Sheikh had asked Khan to appear before the court to hear his protective bail petition in the case. Khan’s plead for an extension of his interim bail was rejected last week by an anti-terrorism court in Islamabad.
Babar Awan, Imran Khan’s lawyer, requested the court to give the ex-PM only one exemption from in-person appearances on the grounds. The erstwhile PM Is still recuperating from the gun attack that took place in November when the he was injured during a firing at his rally in the Wazirabad town of Punjab.
Judge Raja Jawad leading the ATC, The Anti-Terrorism Court, rejected the PM’s request to extend the interim bail stating that the PM had had sufficient time to show his appearance before the court, but he had failed to do that. The judge also stated that a “powerful person” cannot be specially exempted in cases of law.
Protests raged across the country in November when a serious assassination attempt was made. The PTI leader had asked the affiliated people to organize and stage protests and demonstrations across the country following Khan’s disqualifications over hiding the acute details of the party funding.
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