Former Pakistan PM Imran Khan gets protective bail in mutiny case

The Islamabad High Court on Friday granted anticipatory bail till May 3 to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan in a sedition case against Pakistan's former prime minister.

Earlier this month, lawyer Manzoor Ahmed Khan filed a first information report (FIR) at Ramna police station in the capital against Khan for "spreading hatred among institutions and the public" and also alleged that he was trying to cause "unforgivable harm" to government officials.

An FIR was registered against Khan under Sections 138 (aiding and abetting an act of insubordination by a soldier, sailor or airman), Section 500 (punishment for defamation) and Section 505 (statement leading to public mischief) of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC). 

Earlier in the day, the PTI chief filed a bail plea in the High Court, which was granted against furnishing sureties of Rs 100,000. Khan traveled from Lahore to Islamabad under tight police protection on Friday for the case. The hearing was attended by a large number of supporters who expressed solidarity with the PTI chief.

He said on Twitter that the party workers were sitting peacefully in their vehicles when the police chased them away and detained them.

“Our workers were sitting peacefully in their vehicles when the ICT police pulled them out and drove them away in a brazen display of state oppression. That is why they want the elections to be postponed because they feel they can break the PTI by then, fearing jail and harassment. Not working,” he tweeted.

According to the complaint filed against the former prime minister of Pakistan, Khan made various allegations against the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) operative and assassinated his character during a speech on March 19 from his residence in Lahore.