Imran Khan, Pakistan's former prime minister, was granted bail on Thursday by the Islamabad High Court in relation to new murder charges. This bail order prevents his arrest in the case for a period of 14 days, as confirmed by his lawyer.
Following his arrest and three-day detention last month, which triggered violent protests by his followers, Mr. Khan had already obtained bail in several other criminal cases against him.
He traveled from his home in Lahore to the country's capital to seek bail in the murder case, as well as an extension of his bail in over a dozen other cases, in order to avoid the risk of being rearrested. Barrister Gohar Khan, his lawyer, provided this information.
Since his ousting through a no-confidence vote last year, the 70-year-old former cricketer, who became prime minister in 2018, has been involved in a confrontation with the powerful military.
Throughout the country's history, the military has directly ruled or overseen civilian governments, and political confrontations are often resolved through legal proceedings.
Mr. Khan's arrest on May 9, on corruption charges which he strongly denies, resulted in protests where military properties were vandalized. This raised concerns about the stability of the nuclear-armed nation with a population of 220 million, as it grapples with its most severe economic crisis in decades.
Since his release, charges against Mr. Khan have continued to pile up. On Wednesday, he was named by the police in connection with the murder of a lawyer who was seeking sedition proceedings against him.
Mr. Khan asserts that he is facing nearly 150 cases and firmly denies all allegations brought against him.
As previously mentioned by his lawyer, the former prime minister intends to appeal for bail in connection with more than a dozen cases by approaching anti-terrorism courts, anti-graft courts, and the High Court in Islamabad.
In an online address to party workers on Wednesday, Mr. Khan expressed his resignation to the possibility of being arrested for a second time.
Initially, the military viewed Mr. Khan, with his conservative and nationalist agenda, as a leader who shared their interests. However, during his tenure as prime minister, his actions, particularly regarding security sector appointments, caused displeasure among the generals.
He has accused the military and its intelligence agency of attempting to dismantle his party, firmly believing that he will be tried in a military court and subsequently sentenced to jail as part of the army-backed crackdown on his political organization.
On Wednesday, the military issued a statement emphasizing the importance of bringing all those involved in the violence on May 9 to justice.
Shahbaz Sharif, Mr. Khan's successor as prime minister, has rejected his call for an early election before the scheduled poll later this year. Mr. Khan alleges that the cases against him are aimed at ensuring his exclusion from participating in the upcoming elections.
Mr. Khan has appealed for dialogue to resolve the standoff with the military, but the government has rejected his proposals.
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