ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan Friday night finally left the Islamabad High Court’s (IHC) building for his Zaman Park residence in Lahore after hours-long stay on the premises.
Imran Khan was at the IHC for hours after he decided to stay on the court’s premises until he got a written verdict of his bail as he feared that the police might arrest him again once he got out.
When he got the written order, he tried to leave, but a police officer told Khan that he had “orders from above” to not allow the PTI chief to leave the IHC premises.
“Open Islamabad’s routes within 15 minutes or I will announce my next plan of action,” Khan had told police officers stationed at the high court for security. After his assistance, senior police officers reached the IHC, ended the deadlock between PTI and the law enforcers, and allowed Khan to leave.
Islamabad police said that unidentified assailants resorted to firing at police officials in G-11 and G-13 areas of the federal capital. Police officials remained safe in both firing incidents.
PTI Chairman @ImranKhanPTI exclusive video message: Get ready for peaceful protest. I am illegally detained for last 3 hours despite my bail being approved. pic.twitter.com/vYwjOvXg0v
— PTI (@PTIofficial) May 12, 2023
The PTI chief was not given security clearance for travelling on the Islamabad route. The police said that they do not receive orders from the higher authorities and they cannot provide security clearance for the route.
Islamabad Inspector-General (IG) of Police Dr Akbar Nasir Khan met Imran Khan and informed him about the ongoing shelling on Srinagar Highway. However, sources claimed, the talks between the PTI chief and IG Islamabad failed.
After his response, senior police officers reached the Islamabad and allowed the PTI chairman to leave.
Firing in Islamabad
Earlier, it was reported that Islamabad police launched a search operation after two firing incidents reported near the Islamabad High Court (IHC).
Police said that unidentified assailants resorted to firing at police officials in G-11 and G-13 areas of the federal capital. Police officials remained safe in both firing incidents.
The spokesperson said that a search operation was launched in adjacent areas of the IHC following the firing incidents. It was learnt that unidentified persons opened fire near a graveyard and a street near the high court’s building.
Rangers personnel were deployed outside the IHC’s courtroom again, whereas, the security of the high court’s building was also enhanced.
The hearings and relief
Khan was arrested from the IHC premises by paramilitary forces on Tuesday (May 9), which triggered violent protests across the country. But the Supreme Court nullified his arrest and ordered authorities concerned to release him.
The PTI chief was at the IHC after he appeared there today on Supreme Court’s orders to seek bail in multiple cases registered against him, where he got blanket relief.
In the first relief today, a two-member special divisional bench granted two-week bail to the former prime minister in the Al-Qadir Trust corruption case, and later, the court barred authorities from arresting him till May 17 in any new case filed against him till May 9 — the day he was detained in the corruption case, which led to deadly countrywide protests.
Then, he sought transitory bail in four cases lodged against him in Lahore, in which the court awarded him bail till May 22 in the Zille Shah murder case, then, another bench barred authorities from arresting the former prime minister till the morning of May 15 in any case, no matter what their nature may be, while hearing the bail petition filed against three terrorism cases.
