Imran Khan gets protective bail from Peshawar High Court

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan received on Thursday protective bail for lawsuits registered against his party's recent long march to Islamabad, reported Aaj News.

The bail will expire on June 25. Khan had approached the Peshawar High Court to secure the bail, where he had met with Chief Justice Qaiser Rashid Khan.

After Khan called off the long march on May 26 for fear that the situation was getting violent, several cases were registered against him and his party for turning violent and clashing with law enforcement agencies.

On May 25, PTI kicked off its long march and workers from different cities of the country reached the federal capital.

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The government had attempted to prevent the convoy led by Khan from reaching the capital by shutting down all entry and exit points around the city, but was forced to allow in the protesters by an emergency Supreme Court order.

On Thursday morning, the PTI chairman ended the rally and warned the government to stage fresh elections or face more mass protests.

Later, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah was hopeful that a case would be registered against the long march as “it was a criminal act that is punishable by Pakistan’s penal code.”

Rana Sanaullah expects lawsuit against long march

“This was not a march or a democratic movement. It was a criminal act,” he said.

Sanaullah said that PTI Chairman Imran Khan was out to storm the red zone and “his agenda is to split the nation.”

He also underlined that resources owned by the government and ministries were used in the march.

“They did not want to protest or hold a political activity. Rather, they wanted to spread anarchy and seize the capital city to turn the government dysfunctional,” he emphasised. “Parliament lodges were used as guest houses for the march.”

Earlier in the day, the Islamabad High Court gave protective bail to PTI member and former minister Hammad Azhar in a similar case in Lahore.

During the day, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) stopped police and the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) from arresting PTI member Asad Qaiser in cases pertaining to damaging government property during long march.

Qaiser has approached IHC to seek protection against arrest after multiple FIRs were registered against him.