A district and session court in Islamabad gave a clean chit on Saturday to PTI Chairman Imran Khan in a case related to May 9 events – the day when his arrest triggered violent protests.

The court approved Khan’s bail in two cases registered against him at the Shehzad Town Police Station. A four-page written order on the pre-arrest bail has been issued in both cases.

Khan was arrested by paramilitary personnel from the premises of the Islamabad High Court on May 9 in 190 million pounds case. The development led to violent protests in the country where protesters attacked state buildings. The ruling coalition members have blamed the PTI chief for inciting the people for such demonstrations.

“No clause has been more misinterpreted than the incitement clause,” Additional District and Sessions judge Farrukh Fareed Baloch.

The written order added that it was necessary to “establish a link” between the act of incitement and the commission of the offence. It was necessary to prove that the offence was committed as a result of the incitement.

The PTI chairman was in the custody of the National Accountability Bureau when the crime was committed, it added. The claim that the PTI chief himself faked his illegal arrest was “absurd”, which clearly shows “malicious and ulterior motives” on the part of police.

The court added that the purpose of handing over the petitioner to the police would be nothing but “unnecessary humiliation”. It was written in the order that the pre-arrest bail was granted against the payment of surety bonds worth Rs5,000.

According to the prosecution, it added that Khan’s video statement was the only evidence while that statement was not related to the incident.

There was “nothing” in the statement of PTI chairman to incite the public, it said and added that the prosecution also presented several tweets of the former prime minister as evidence.

More to follow…