The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Wednesday approved former prime minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan’s bail in the new Toshakana case.
Hearing Khan’s bail plea, IHC’s Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb granted him bail against two surety bonds worth Rs1 million each, and ordered his immediate release.
The development comes as PTI has called for a nationwide anti-government protest on November 24 in Islamabad.
FIA has accused Imran and his wife Bushra Bibi of receiving the Bulgari jewellery set from Saudi Arabia and failing to submit the set in Toshakhana.
The FIA has said that according to the records, the items are valued at Rs71.5 million but the accused got it valued at Rs5.8 million from a private firm.
Both Imran and Bushra have denied the charges.
The former PM Khan has faced dozens of cases since he was removed as premier in 2022 and has been incarcerated since 2023.
The PTI founding chairman was arrested in a new case in July this year after being acquitted in another case.
On Tuesday, Special Judge, Shahrukh Arjumand, while hearing the case, again deferred framing of charge against Khan and his wife in the Toshakhana case due to the absence of Bushra Bibi.
The jail authorities produced the former PM before the court and his wife did not attend the hearing.
Bushra’s counsel, Usman Gull, submitted an application requesting her exemption from hearing on medical grounds.
On October 24, IHC granted bail to Bushra who was then later released from Adiala Jail.
‘No chance of Imran Khan’s release’
Information Minister Ataullah Tarar claimed Imran Khan would not be released after today’s court decision.
“There is no chance of the PTI founder’s release,” Tarar said while speaking to Geo News on Wednesday.
He maintained that PTI founder would not be released from jail due to not having bail in eight pending cases related to May 9 riots.
Reactions
“I can’t believe it, I am so happy. Yesterday, we said that if Imran Khan gets bail, he will personally lead the protest on November 24,” Aleema Khan said in her conversation with the media.
“He is still their laadla!!,” Pakistan Muslim League – Nawaz (PML-N) wrote on its official X handle while reacting to the news of Imran Khan’s bail.
Imran Khan’s ‘final call’
Last week, Khan gave what he called a final call for a large-scale anti-government march to Islamabad on November 24.
His sister Aleema Khan and lawyer Faisal Chaudhry, following the Al-Qadir Trust case against Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi, while talking to media outside Adiala jail, announced that the PTI founding chairman had given the final call for protest.
In a post on X on Tuesday, Khan asked his party leaders to ensure their participation in the protest called for November 24 or “disassociate themselves from the party”.
“Everyone must join the protest on November 24th. If any PTI leader or ticket holder is not able to ensure their participation in the protest, they should disassociate themselves from the party because this is the decisive moment when the entire nation will come out for freedom. The nation will not accept any excuse at such a critical time,” the post read.
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