LHC disposes of Imran Khan's plea for protective bail
Pakistan
LHC disposes of Imran Khan’s plea for protective bail
LAHORE (Dunya News) – The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Thursday disposed of a petition filed by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman and former prime minister Imran Khan, seeking protective bail after he failed to appear before the court.
The court had given Imran Khan time to appear before the court until 6:30pm. Despite being given time, the PTI chairman failed to appear before the court after which the two-member bench of the LHC dismissed his plea.
Amid rumours about his arrest, the former prime minister decided to appear before the Lahore High Court (LHC). The route outside the former premier’s residence had been cleared for presenting him before the court. On this occasion, the PTI supporters chanted slogans to support Mr Khan and his party.
Imran Khan had previously decided not to appear in court, citing health concerns after doctors barred him from traveling.
Mr Khan filed the protective bail petition after an anti-terrorism court (ATC) cancelled his bail in a case filed against him for protesting outside the ECP office on Wednesday.
The high court, however, conditioned Mr Khan's bail on his personal appearance in the case and ordered him to appear before it until 9am on Thursday.
Justice Tariq Saleem Sheikh had remarked that the appellant should be presented before the court on a stretcher or in the ambulance until 8 pm, if necessary.
In his plea, Mr Khan stated that he was a law-abiding citizen and that he wanted to surrender himself before the court. He wanted to file a fresh interim bail plea in the court, so protective bail should be granted to him, the plea added.
The plea further stated that Mr Khan had been nominated in the case to victimise him politically. According to the plea, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) denied the bail request and did not grant Mr Khan a medical exemption from appearing in court.
