Lahore: Pakistan’s former prime minister Imran Khan reached his residence here Saturday early morning after a prolonged standoff with authorities in Islamabad during which he was made to stay in the court premises over the provision of security to him despite being granted bail in a number of cases.
The Islamabad High Court (IHC) Friday granted him protective bail for two weeks in a corruption case and barred the authorities from arresting the former Pakistan prime minister in any case registered anywhere in the country until Monday.
Three different benches of the IHC granted relief to the 70-year-old Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief who was escorted to the court amid tight security.
Before his departure for Lahore after securing blanket bails from the IHC in a number of cases related to treason and violence and one related to the Al-Qadir Trust corruption case in which he was arrested early this week, Khan was allegedly made to stay more than three hours in the court by the Islamabad police on the security details.
He left the court premises after a protracted standoff with authorities. Upon reaching his Zaman Park residence here, Khan was greeted by a number of jubilant PTI workers who showered rose petals on his vehicle, danced to the tune of drums and conducted massive fireworks.
They also chanted slogans in favour of Khan and against the ruling PML-N-led coalition.
The PTI released a video of Khan entering the house where his sisters and other family members welcomed him and inquired about his health. Khan, who is demanding snap general elections, is facing over 120 cases across the country.
“Islamabad Inspector General of Police (IG) Akbar Nasir tried his best to retain me at the capital’s high court. They did not let us leave for three hours, saying that it’s dangerous outside,” the PTI chief said in a video message from his vehicle in which he was travelling back to Lahore.
He said he told the IG that he would tell the entire Pakistan that he was kidnapping him and upon this he let him go.
Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah had earlier declared that the government might take Khan into protective custody which made the PTI chief and his associates skeptical about the IG’s action.
The Islamabad police also issued a statement saying providing security was a bilateral matter where the cooperation of the subject was required.
“Imran Khan did not cooperate with us for security arrangements, thus he is responsible for his actions. If anything happens to him (Khan) the state institutions will not be responsible,” it said.
The arrest of Khan on Tuesday by the Pakistan Rangers at the IHC premises in a corruption case triggered unrest in Pakistan that continued till Friday in which scores of people were killed and dozens of military and state installations were destroyed by the protesters.
For the first time in Pakistan’s history that the protesters stormed into the army headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi and also torched a corps commander’s house in Lahore.
Police put the death toll in violent clashes to 10 while Khan’s party claims 40 of its workers lost their lives in the firing by security personnel.
