Khan is granted interim bail on terror charges
August 25, 2022
A court in Pakistan on Thursday granted temporary bail to former premier Imran Khan on terrorism charges for threatening police officers and a judge, his lawyer said.
The court ordered the police not to arrest Khan until September 1, after which he will have to seek an extension to his bail.
Khan's court appearance is the latest twist in months of political wrangling that began when he was ousted by a vote of no confidence in the National Assembly in April.
In addition to terrorism charges, Khan is also facing legal challenges over money laundering charges, concealing assets and collecting illegal funds for his party from citizens of the United States, India and Europe.
If convicted, Khan faces imprisonment and disqualification from politics.
Khan decries 'technical knockout'
The ousted leader accused the authorities of trying to score a "technical knockout" against him. Outside the court, Khan claimed that the government was fearful of his popularity.
"Due to that fear, they are looking for technical knockouts. Just to save themselves, they are making a mockery of the country," he said.
Khan, who came to power in 2018 following national elections, retains widespread support.
The former cricket star is staging mass rallies railing against Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's government and scoring successes in recent Provincial Assembly by-elections.
Khan was once backed by the generals who ruled Pakistan for decades or maintained the balance of power in the country. But he had a falling out with the military last year over the choice of a new spy chief.
Since his removal from office, Khan has been piling pressure on the government to call fresh elections as he seeks another term.
Crisis among disasters
The political crisis comes as officials struggle to cope with record monsoon rains that have flooded large parts of the country.
Figures from the national disaster agency on Thursday showed that the floods had killed 903 people since June and forced more than 180,000 to flee their rural homes.
The economy is also in free fall, and the country risks defaulting on foreign loans if the International Monetary Fund doesn't approve the resumption of a $6 billion (€6.02 billion) bailout next week as expected.
dh/fb (AFP, dpa)