Lahore (Web Desk): The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Friday granted protective bail to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman and former premier Imran Khan in nine cases including, eight terrorism cases, and one civil.
According to sources, the PTI chief had approached the LHC to seek protective bail in nine cases. Five of those cases are registered in Islamabad and four in Lahore.
A two-member LHC bench comprising Justice Tariq Saleem Sheikh and Justice Farooq Haider conducted the hearing on bail pleas filed against the cases that are lodged under terrorism sections.
For the five cases in Islamabad, the court granted bail to the former premier till March 24 and for the three cases in Lahore, the PTI chief was granted bail for 10 days (March 27).
Justice Tariq Saleem Sheikh also heard the bail pleas of Imran Khan filed against the civil cases registered against him.
The court approved the former premiers protective bail in this case till March 27.
The Former premier has been resisting arrest in the Toshakhana case and is holed up inside his Zaman Park residence in Lahore surrounded by hundreds of supporters, who have fought “pitched battles” with the police and Rangers over the past few days.
However, the law enforcement agencies retreated on Wednesday evening, saying that the operation had been paused during the ongoing Pakistan Super League (PSL).
Meanwhile, the LHC had also intervened and postponed the operation.
On Thursday, an Islamabad sessions court, where PTI had gone for the suspension of Imran’s arrest warrants, upheld the warrants that it issued, observing that the PTI chief had “challenged the dignity and writ of the state”.
It also maintained its order to arrest the ex-premier and present him in court by March 18.
On Thursday, the LHC had said that its Wednesday's order to postpone police operation at Zaman Park, to Imran Khan, will remain in force till Friday.
Justice Tariq Saleem Sheikh of the LHC issued the written order and at the request of the lawyers of the parties, adjourned the hearing of the case till today.
During the hearing, Justice Tariq Saleem Sheikh remarked that the lack of understanding of the law was the cause of the issue.
He highlighted that adherence to the rule of law could resolve the current impasse.
The judge went on to emphasise that all solutions to such problems could be found in the Constitution.
Justice Sheikh also lamented that the entire system “had been jammed” by the opposing parties.
“Sometimes you appear in this court, and at other times you turn up in the Islamabad High Court,” he commented.
The judge also advised that both parties [police and PTI] needed to follow the law and reminded them that the entire nation had been affected by the ongoing situation.
Earlier today, while hearing PTI Leader Fawad Chaudhry’s plea against police action at Zaman Park, the LHC extended its bar on the police operation for Imran’s arrest.
The court previously twice stopped the police operation outside the ex-premier’s residence and instructed the Punjab police and PTI to sit together and resolve the matter after consultation.
Ahead of the hearing today, Chaudhry tweeted that both parties have “agreed to resolve the issues” and the agreed solution will be presented in court today.
