Imran gets pre-arrest bail in Azadi March FIRs

PHC CJ approves bail till June 25, asks former premier to submit surety bonds worth Rs50,000

The Peshawar High Court (PHC) granted former prime minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan transitory, protective bail on Thursday for three weeks in cases registered against him by the government in light of his ‘Azadi March’.

The high court, while providing pre-arrest bail to Imran, told him that the petitioner was being granted three weeks bail against a surety bond of Rs50,000 but he could always approach the court in case of any problem.

In the petition, Imran’s lawyer Babar Awan said that there were 14 FIRs registered against his client that accused him of inciting violence. The PHC CJ, Qaiser Rashid Khan, also told Imran, who had appeared before the bench in person, not to talk on the premises of the high court.

Cases against Imran

On May 27, Islamabad police filed separate cases against 150 people including PTI Chairman Imran Khan and party leaders Asad Umar, Asad Qaiser among others over allegations of arson and vandalism in the federal capital during the long march on May 25.

Read Judge wants contempt proceedings against Imran

The footage of the Safe City cameras as well as those from private TV news channels had been included in the challans of the cases as evidence.

Two FIRs were registered at Kohsar police station over the complaint of Sub-Inspector Asif Raza and Sub-Inspector Ghulam Sarwar under Sections 109 (abetment), 148 (rioting armed with deadly weapon), 149 (unlawful assembly), 186 (obstructing public service), 188 (disobedience), 353 (assault on public servant), 427 (causing damage) and 435 (mischief by fire or explosive substance with intent to cause damage) of the Pakistan Penal Code.

In the other FIR, SI Sarwar stated that he and other police officers were on duty at Express Chowk when at 12:30am, around 100-150 PTI protesters, equipped with rods and inflammatory material, chanted slogans, incited people and set fire to the trees and Metro Bus station near Geo Chowk.

The FIR filed on SI Sarwar’s complaint named the PTI chief as well as Asad Umar, Imran Ismail, Raja Khurram Nawaz, Ali Amin Gandapur, Ali Nawaz Awan and other party leaders.