A local court in Islamabad exempted Imran Khan from appearing in person in a case related to illegal protests utside the Election Commission.

The exemption was granted after Imran’s lawyer Babar Awan said that the PTI chief has not been declared fit to travel and will need 20 to 25 days to heal enough to travel to court.

The court extended Imran Khan’s bail till February 27 and asked him to submit a written reply.

The case pertains to a protest by PTI outside the election commission that was staged in violation of section 144.

PML-N’s Mohsin Shahnawaz Ranjha said that Imran Khan was trying to avoid courts on technical basis by ‘using the longest-lasting plaster in history’. He added that Imran Khan was going about the rest of his political activities without any hindrance.

Babar Awan argued that if needed, Imran Khan’s statement could be recorded via videolink as stated by the Supreme court in prvious cases. However, the judge said that it had not been done before in a case of bail-before-arrest.