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Updated 21 Mar, 2023 06:55pm

Court grants Imran Khan protective bail in multiple cases

The Lahore High Court has approved protective bail of PTI chief Imran Khan till March 27 in two cases registered at Golra Police Station and the Counter Terrorism Department in Islamabad following clashes at the Federal Judicial Complex last week. The court also approved his bail in the NAB case against him.

Khan’s vehicle entered the premises of LHC from the Mosque Gate of the court. PTI leaders Fawad Chaudhry and Shaukat Basra also attended the court.

A heavy contingent of police was deployed inside and outside the court.

The bail in two terrorism cases was granted by a two-judge LHC bench comprising Justice Shehbaz Rizvi and Justice Farooq Haider in the terrorism cases. Separately, Justice Baqir Najafi heard the bail plea in the NAB case against him over Toshakhana issue. The justice first granted him bail until Tuesday and then extended it by another ten days.

A large number of supporters accompanied Imran Khan though the number was significantly less than seen at the Islamabad Judicial Complex last week.

A video uploaded by the PTI on Twitter showed Khan leaving his house as supporters, who have been stationed outside Zaman Park, cheered for him.

A special squad accompanied Imran when he left his residence. At least three vehicles traveled along with the former prime minister.

Sources said that the police did not give a clear route to Khan’s vehicle.

In its ruling on Monday, the LHC summoned the PTI chief on Tuesday (today) at 2:15pm. But he arrived one hour earlier.

The former prime minister filed two petitions in the court through Barrister Salman Safdar. He sought protective bail to “enable him to surrender and approach the competent court having jurisdiction to entertain the bail petition”.

“If you want relief then Imran Khan should appear in court today at 2:15pm,” the court had told the PTI chief’s petitions in its remarks.

The two-member bench led by JUstice Shahbaz had asked whether the pleas had the signature of Khan or not, saying that apparently, the signature appears to be scanned. To this, the lawyer said both the signatures were of his client and were not scanned.

The PTI chief also appeared before the court of Justice Tariq Saleem Sheikh, who heard a PTI petition against the police.

The justice told Khan’s private guards to leave the courtroom.

Imran Khan told Justice Sheikh that he had to use a different car to secretly reach the court because he faced life threats.

He said when police raided his Zaman Park house last week, his wife Bushra Bibi was alone and she screamed in panic.

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