On Friday, Imran Khan, a former prime minister, is scheduled to appear before the Islamabad High Court for his involvement with the Al Qadir Trust case.
The head of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) is presently staying in the Police Line Headquarters’ rest house. According to PTI, Imran would speak to his fans after his court appearance. Imran’s followers are anticipated to march to the capital on Friday, thus the police have issued an emergency order prohibiting gatherings in advance of Imran’s court appearance.
PTI asserts that thousands of “peaceful Pakistanis” will gather in Islamabad to show their support for their leader. However, there have already been approximately 2,000 arrests and eight fatalities in fights between Imran’s followers and the police. In addition to attacking military installations, protesters have also set fire to other public properties and assets, forcing the government to mobilise the army.
The Supreme Court nullified Imran’s arrest on Thursday and ordered him to appear before the IHC on Friday at 11:00 am to request bail in connection with the NAB’s call-up notice. The bench instructed the attorney general, Jehangir Jadoon, to bring Imran before it at 4:00 pm on Thursday at around 3:20. A little after 5:45 p.m., the Islamabad police brought Imran in front of the bench under heavy security in accordance with the apex court’s directive.
Imran clarified his arrest during his appearance and encouraged his followers and PTI staff to refrain from violence and maintain composure. Additionally, he asked his followers to respect all private and public property. The court authorised Imran to host a gathering of up to ten people, provided that the police conducted a security check. Imran would be able to invite these people to stay with him for as long as he likes.
The petition was filed on Wednesday following Imran’s arrest by NAB from the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Tuesday in the Al-Qadir Trust case. Earlier, the petition was returned due to a few objections but was accepted after PTI addressed the concerns.
Following Imran’s arrest, several PTI leaders, including Asad Umar, Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Fawad Chaudhry, Ali Zaidi, Jamshed Iqbal Cheema, Falaknaz Chitrali, Musarrat Jamshed Cheema, and Maleeka Bokhari were also arrested. The nation’s major cities have been engulfed in protests that have resulted in numerous incidents of violence. In response, Punjab police have arrested over 1,000 individuals in connection with the protests.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has referred to the violent protests led by PTI as “unforgivable crimes” and “acts of terrorism”. He warned that strict action would be taken against “state’s enemies” who are ransacking public properties and state installations.
