Pakistan: Imran gets bail in graft case; PM Shehbaz says he is pushing the nation toward destruction
Virendra Pandit
New Delhi: Amid indications that former Prime Minister Imran Ahmed Khan Niazi, against whom more than a hundred cases are pending, could be re-arrested anytime even after the Islamabad High Court (IHC) granted him bail in the Al-Qadir Trust case on Friday, his successor Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif warned that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) party is “pushing the nation towards destruction.”
On Friday, the IHC granted Khan a two-week bail, clarifying it is applicable only within its jurisdiction of the national capital. This might potentially worsen the situation in Pakistan which has suffered unprecedented anti-Army violence this week, which left around a dozen people dead and injury to hundreds.
Imran, who had promised in the Supreme Court on Thursday, ahead of his release, that he would appeal to PTI workers for peace “in a couple of days”, on Friday, called them to gather outside the IHC.
Meanwhile, addressing the Federal Cabinet, PM Sharif said: “As you know the (Pakistani) currency is navigating through difficult times, and the challenges we inherited are contributing immensely to aggravating the situation. The previous government violated an agreement with the IMF and we are making attempts to repair that,” he said.
He accused the PTI and Imran of being “liars” and also questioned the court’s silence during the “political victimization” of the PML-N and its leaders during the cricketer-turned-politician’s tenure as PM (2018-2022).
Lamenting the violent protests after Imran’s arrest on May 9, Sharif said that such scenes were not witnessed since the fall of Dhaka in 1973. Even after the assassination of former PM Benazir Bhutto protests had erupted but no one “moved towards military installations,” Dawn reported.
Referring to the Supreme Court’s proceedings on Khan’s arrest on Thursday, the PM decried the relief the top court had extended to him. “When he (Imran) was produced in court yesterday, the Chief Justice of Pakistan said it is good to see you,” Shehbaz lamented. “And he said this in a case of corruption.”
Reports said a team of Lahore police left for Islamabad to arrest Khan in a number of cases registered against him in Punjab province.
Imran Khan arrived at the IHC around 11.30 pm amid heavy security and proceeded to the biometrics section. The hearing was delayed by around two hours as the Bomb Disposal Squad and other security forces swept the courtroom and premises for potential risks.
The hearing at the IHC began just before 1 PM but was paused within a few minutes to observe the Friday afternoon prayers.
During the hearing, the judges heard a request by Imran’s lawyers for posting bail on the graft charges, which under Pakistan’s legal system protects the accused from arrest pending trial. As Khan’s supporters in the courtroom chanted slogans, the judge adjourned the session for two hours.
The 70-year-old leader’s lawyers submitted a plea in the court for clubbing all the cases against him into one single case.
His chief lawyer Babar Awan told reporters the government seemed adamant to re-arrest the former PM. His comments followed Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah’s statement of Thursday that police could arrest Khan on other charges if he is granted protection in the corruption cases. The government contends that Khan’s release rewards and encourages mob violence.
The former PM is facing at least 121 cases across the country, including for committing treason and blasphemy and inciting violence and terrorism. Twelve cases of terrorism have been registered against him in Lahore and 14 cases in Faisalabad.
