Islamabad (TIP): Former Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan on February 20 thwarted the government’s plan to arrest him by personally appearing before the Lahore High Court, which granted him protective bail till March 3 in a case linked to violent protests by his supporters following his disqualification by the election commission.
Justice Tariq Saleem Sheikh had directed 70-year-old Khan to appear before the court for a hearing of his protective bail petition in the case. His court appearance came amid high drama as hundreds of supporters thronged the court premises to show their support for the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader. Imran overshot the deadline of reaching the court by 5 pm as he could reach only at 7.30 pm as a massive crowd of PTI supporters prevented him from entering. During the hearing, Imran said he respected the courts and added his doctors had advised him against walking due to his leg injury. “My party’s name is Tehreek-e-Insaf (movement for justice) and I expect the same from courts,” he said.
Earlier, Imran’s counsel had requested the court to verify his client’s presence through the court staff as the PTI chief was facing difficulty in entering the court due to security reasons. However, the court rejected the request and ordered the security in charge to present the politician before the bench. (PTI)