In a huge relief to former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan, the Islamabad High Court has granted two-week bail to the PTI chairman in connection with a corruption case. The court has also restricted the authorities from arresting Imran Khan in any case registered in Islamabad after May 9 till May 17.
Imran Khan was dramatically arrested on Tuesday, 9 May, from the premises of Islamabad High Court in the Al-Qadir Trust case after the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) issued an arrest warrant against him, sparking deadly unrest in the nuclear-armed nation.
Nearly 2,000 people have been arrested for violence since Imran Khan's arrest on Tuesday and at least eight have been killed.
The arrest, ruled "invalid and unlawful" by the Supreme Court a day earlier, fuelled instability in the nation of 220 million at a time of economic crisis, with record inflation, anaemic growth and delayed IMF funding.
Imran Khan arrived at the Islamabad High Court amid tight security on Friday and underwent the biometric identification process as his supporters clashed with police elsewhere in the capital. “The court has given a two-week bail,” Imran Khan's lawyer, Faisal Chaudhry, said.
Imran Khan's arrest by paramilitary rangers triggered widespread protests across Pakistan. Army was deployed to maintain law and order situation in the country as demonstrators engaged in violence across the country.
On Thursday, the Supreme Court termed Imran Khan's arrest as “illegal” and ordered his “immediate” release from detention.
Catch all the Business News , Breaking News Events and Latest News Updates on Live Mint. Download The Mint News App to get Daily Market Updates.