ISLAMABAD: Former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan has secured bail in several cases from a terror court in Islamabad, a temporary reprieve that could help calm his supporters and ease tensions with the mighty military and government.
The former cricket star has been released on bail until June 8, his lawyer Mohammad Ali Bokhari said by telephone on Tuesday. However, he still faces dozens of other charges, including bribery, hiding assets and insulting a female judge, all of which he has denied.
Later Tuesday, Khan is due to appear before the National Accountability Office as part of an investigation into the corruption charges against him. The opposition leader had warned before the hearing that there was a good chance he would be arrested again, but called on his supporters to remain peaceful if he was arrested.
The anti-corruption agency’s initial decision to detain Khan, sending paramilitary troops to arrest him in Islamabad on May 9, led to violent protests across the country that left at least eight people dead. It also signaled an escalation in the confrontation between Khan and the country’s powerful military, which has now pledged to try those responsible for attacking army properties under military law.
The deepening political crisis is unfolding as Pakistan grapples with its worst economic distress in decades, facing low foreign exchange reserves, record inflation and interest rates and a program of stalled aid from the International Monetary Fund.
The former cricket star has been released on bail until June 8, his lawyer Mohammad Ali Bokhari said by telephone on Tuesday. However, he still faces dozens of other charges, including bribery, hiding assets and insulting a female judge, all of which he has denied.
Later Tuesday, Khan is due to appear before the National Accountability Office as part of an investigation into the corruption charges against him. The opposition leader had warned before the hearing that there was a good chance he would be arrested again, but called on his supporters to remain peaceful if he was arrested.
The anti-corruption agency’s initial decision to detain Khan, sending paramilitary troops to arrest him in Islamabad on May 9, led to violent protests across the country that left at least eight people dead. It also signaled an escalation in the confrontation between Khan and the country’s powerful military, which has now pledged to try those responsible for attacking army properties under military law.
The deepening political crisis is unfolding as Pakistan grapples with its worst economic distress in decades, facing low foreign exchange reserves, record inflation and interest rates and a program of stalled aid from the International Monetary Fund.
