Islamabad: An anti-terrorism court (ATC) on Saturday granted bail to jailed former Pakistan premier Imran Khan in 12 cases linked to the May 9 attacks on military installations. ATC Judge Malik Ejaz Asif granted bail to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party founder Khan after fulfilling a surety bond of Rs 0.1 million in all 12 cases, including the General Headquarters (Pakistan Army) and Army Museum attack, The Express Tribune Pakistan reported.
The court said there was no justification to keep Khan, 71, under arrest as all accused in May 9 cases were on bail. Khan will remain in jail as he is convicted in many other cases. The court's order came a day after independents backed by Khan's party won nearly 100 seats in the National Assembly.
Former foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi was also granted bail in 13 cases in the same case. Khan and PTI stalwart Qureshi were indicted in the cases on February 6. The two were produced before the court, where the former prime minister informed the judge that he was illegally arrested on May 9 from the Islamabad High Court (IHC) premises.
Khan was booked in multiple cases related to the May 9 violence that erupted following his arrest in an alleged corruption case. The cases registered in Rawalpindi included the attack on the gate of General Headquarters (GHQ), rioting in the office of a sensitive institution and others.
Khan had denied the allegations mentioned in the cases' first information reports (FIRs). Earlier, after his release from Adiala jail, Qureshi was whisked away by Punjab police from prison in connection with a case about the attack on the GHQ.
Read More
