LAHORE: Pakistan’s former Prime Minister and PTI chief Imran Khan is expected to make an appearance before the Lahore High Court (LHC) today (Monday) to address the cases filed against him, including the torching of a state building and other incidents of violence that occurred after his arrest last week.
Khan, who had sought refuge in the Islamabad High Court (IHC) premises for several hours, returned to his Lahore home on Saturday after being granted bail by the IHC. While the IHC granted him bail in the Al Qadir Trust case, they directed him to approach the Lahore High Court (LHC) for further relief.
A senior leader from PTI stated that Khan is likely to seek pre-arrest bail in six cases registered against him. The leader also mentioned that Khan held a meeting with party leaders to discuss the party’s strategy and the upcoming court appearance.
Accusing the government and establishment of attempting to arrest Khan on frivolous charges, the leader emphasized the urgency of the situation.
The Punjab police had booked Khan and hundreds of his party workers on May 10 for their involvement in violent protests and attack on state installations. Additionally, five other FIRs were registered against Khan for inciting his supporters to attack and cause damage to state buildings.
Charges against Imran Khan
Khan, along with his deputy Shah Mahmood Qureshi and others, has been charged with murder, terrorism, and other serious offenses in relation to the attack on state installations in Lahore.
The arrest of Khan by the Pakistan Rangers at the IHC premises sparked widespread unrest across the country, which continued until Friday and resulted in numerous deaths and the destruction of state installations.
The death toll from the violent clashes, as reported by the police, stands at 10, while Khan’s party claims that 40 of their workers lost their lives.
Punjab Inspector General Police, Dr. Usman Anwar, revealed in a press conference that more than 3,500 people had been arrested in Punjab province for their involvement in the post-arrest violence. He stated that most of them would face trials in anti-terrorism courts.
Imran Khan, who was removed from power in April of the previous year following a no-confidence vote, has alleged that his ousting was part of a US-led conspiracy targeting him for his independent foreign policy decisions regarding Russia, China, and Afghanistan.
