Ousted Pakistani prime minister Imran Khan secured bail on Thursday from the Islamabad High Court over new murder charges, blocking his arrest in that case for 14 days, his lawyer said.
Key points:
- Imran Khan was arrested on corruption charges on May 9
- On Wednesday, police named him in connection with the murder of a lawyer
- Mr Khan says he is facing nearly 150 cases and denies all of them
Mr Khan was arrested on May 9 and held for three days, triggering violent protests by his followers. He is now free on bail in a range of other criminal cases.
He had travelled to the capital from his Lahore home to seek bail in the murder case and extend his bail in over a dozen other cases, to avoid a new arrest, said barrister Gohar Khan.
The 70-year-old former cricketer, who become prime minister in 2018, has been embroiled in a confrontation with the powerful military since he was ousted in a no-confidence vote last year.
The military has ruled directly or overseen civilian governments throughout the history of a country in which political confrontations are often fought out in court.
Mr Khan’s initial arrest on corruption charges, which he denies, sparked protests by his supporters who ransacked military facilities, raising new worries about the stability of the nuclear-armed country of 220 million people as it struggles with its worst economic crisis in decades.
Since Mr Khan was freed, new charges against him have been piling up.
On Wednesday, police named him in connection with the murder of a lawyer who had been seeking sedition proceedings against him.
Mr Khan says he is facing nearly 150 cases, and denies guilt in all of them, saying they are aimed at ensuring he is excluded from the polls.
In an online address to party workers on Wednesday, he said he was resigned to the possibility he could be arrested for a second time.
The military issued a statement on the same day saying all planners and perpetrators of the May 9 violence had to be brought to justice.
The prime minister who replaced Mr Khan, Shahbaz Sharif, has rejected Mr Khan’s calls for an election before one is due later this year.
Mr Khan has also appealed for talks to end the stand-off with the military. The government has rejected his calls.
Reuters