Imran Khan released on bail, returns home after two days of detention

Kathmandu: Pakistan’s former prime minister Imran Khan was released on bail after two days of detention over corruption charges.

Also a former cricket star, 70-year-old Khan was given protection from arrest for two weeks by Islamabad’s high court. It came a day after Pakistan’s Supreme court ruled his detention on Tuesday was unlawful and ordered his release. It had asked the high court to reconsider its decision to uphold his arrest.

Khan was greeted all the way to Lahore by PTI supporters. He took a road route to reach his Lahore residence, marking his return after a tumultuous period.

During his journey to Lahore, the former premier revealed that the Inspector General of Islamabad police made extensive efforts to prevent him from leaving for Lahore. For a duration of three hours, he kept him waiting, claiming that it was highly perilous to venture outside, reported Geo News.

‘By persuading him that we would inform the entire Pakistani nation about his act of kidnapping and forcefully detaining us, we managed to secure our release,’ Khan stated, ‘Under pressure, he eventually permitted our departure.’

The arrest of Khan, who served as Pakistan’s prime minister from 2018 to 2022, sparked nationwide violence. The clashes, in which his supporters attacked military installations, left ten people dead and resulted in 3,000 arrests.

The long list of around 100 court cases, on charges ranging from fomenting violence to corruption, still stands against Khan.

The cases include allegations that Khan incited violence and threatened police and government officials. A new terrorism charge was filed against him on Thursday for allegedly inciting his followers to violence after his arrest.

He also faces at least three graft cases, including accusations from the National Accountability Bureau that he accepted millions of dollars worth of property in exchange for providing benefits to a real estate tycoon.

But the court’s ruling was a victory for Khan and averted any new arrest for the time being. The Islamabad High Court gave him protection for two weeks on one graft charge and protection until Monday on a host of other charges in a measure called ‘anticipatory bail.’

The protections in each case can be extended, but it was not immediately clear if that meant a new court hearing on Monday.