Pakistan’s ex-PM Imran Khan returns home after release on bail
Pakistan’s former Prime Minister Imran Khan has arrived at his Lahore’s residence after he was granted bail by the Islamabad High Court following his arrest over corruption charges that had rocked the country with deadly clashes.
Videos shared by his party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party (PTI) showed more than 100 supporters celebrating his release and showering his car with rose petals as he reached his hometown during the early hours of Saturday.
Late Friday, Khan left the court under police protection to head towards Lahore, and before leaving the premises, he predicted that he will be arrested again, even after the judiciary had barred authorities from arresting him on any charges until Monday.
“I will again be illegally arrested, this time outside the High Court; I know I will be arrested. My simple message is, how I am I supposed to control what will happen afterwards?” Khan told reporters.
The judges of the Supreme Court on Thursday granted Khan a protected bail, a type of bail where he cannot be re-arrested on the imposed charges for two weeks, after his arrest was declared unlawful.
He welcomed the court’s order and said the judiciary was Pakistan’s only protection against the “law of the jungle”.
Despite the rulings, the corruption charges against Khan still stand.
The arrest of the former cricket superstar triggered nationwide violent clashes between the supporters of Khan and the security forces, which led to the arrests of thousands of his supporters and the death of at least nine.
More than 100 police cases have been registered against Khan by the government since his removal from power in April 2022 after he lost a confidence vote in parliament.
Pakistan’s President Arif Alvi, who is also a senior PTI leader, said he was “alarmed, shocked and deeply disturbed” over the situation in the country.
After his ouster in April last year, Khan accused an unnamed "foreign power" -- in a clear reference to the United States -- of funding a "conspiracy" to topple his democratically elected government.
Khan insisted that the "foreign power" sent millions of dollars to opposition parties to launch a no-confidence vote against him in the parliament.
The former prime minister has declared he fears for his life if detained, and that authorities want him jailed to prevent him from contesting an election.
Last year, Khan was shot in the leg during a political rally. Previous attempts to arrest Khan from his home in Lahore saw clashes between his supporters and security forces.
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