Pakistan court grants Imran Khan bail in 8 cases related to Judicial Complex violence in Islamabad
Islamabad (PTI): Former prime minister Imran Khan got a major relief on Tuesday when an anti-terrorism court in Pakistan granted him bail till June 8 in eight cases related to violence that erupted at the Judicial Complex here in March.
The cases were registered in different police stations of Islamabad against 70-year-old Khan after clashes erupted between police and his supporters when the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party chief appeared before a court in the Judicial Complex on March 18.
The clashes erupted when Khan attended a much-awaited hearing in the Toshakhana corruption case.
During the confrontation, over 25 security personnel were injured.
On Tuesday, Khan travelled from Lahore to the capital, Islamabad to appear before the anti-terrorism court located in the Judicial Complex.
After hearing arguments by lawyers, the court granted him bail in eight cases till June 8, his party said in a message.
Established in 1974, the Toshakhana is a department under the administrative control of the Cabinet Division and stores precious gifts given to rulers, parliamentarians, bureaucrats, and officials by heads of other governments and states and foreign dignitaries.
Khan, the cricketer-turned-politician, was disqualified by the Election Commission of Pakistan in October last year for not sharing details of the sales.
Meanwhile, an accountability court in Islamabad stopped the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) from arresting PTI chief Imran Khan's wife Bushra Bibi in the Al-Qadir Trust case by granting her interim bail.
The former first lady's lawyer Khawaja Haris appeared before the court and filed an application for Bushra Bibi's interim bail.
During the hearing, Haris informed the court that Bushra Bibi did not receive any notice from the anti-graft body. Subsequently. The court accepted the bail application till May 31 and issued a notice to NAB seeking its reply.
Judge Muhammad Basheer also directed Imran's wife to deposit a surety bond of Rs 0.5 million.
On May 15, a division bench of the Lahore High Court granted protective bail to the PTI chief's wife till May 23 in the Al-Qadir Trust case. It was the first appearance by the former first lady in court to attend proceedings in a case lodged against her.
The deposed prime minister is already on bail till May 31 in the trust case.
The Al-Qadir Trust case is the same case in which Khan was arrested on May 9 and hours before announcing his decision to visit NAB on Tuesday, he said that he might be arrested again and urged his followers to stay calm.
"I urge people to remain peaceful because if you get violent, they will get a chance to crack down again. We have to always protest peacefully," he said during a session on Twitter Spaces last night.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
KC Venugopal says government should have acted with “sensitivity” in B’luru demolition drive
Bengaluru: Senior Congress leader and AICC General Secretary K C Venugopal has expressed regret over the manner in which the Karnataka government’s demolition drive in Kogilu village was carried out, saying the action should have been undertaken with greater caution and “compassion,” according to a tweet on Friday.
The demolition operation, led by the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) in Yelahanka’s Kogilu village, razed more than 200 homes and structures in Fakir Colony and Waseem Layout in the early hours of December 20 as part of an anti-encroachment drive. Authorities say the land was illegally occupied and has been earmarked for public infrastructure purposes, including waste management facilities. Residents and activists, however, allege that the action was executed without adequate notice or rehabilitation plans, leaving hundreds of families homeless and sparking protests in parts of the city.
ALSO READ: Yelahanka evictions: Urgent resolution needed, says Grand Mufti of India
In his social media post, Venugopal said he had spoken to Siddaramaiah, Chief Minister of Karnataka, and D. K. Shivakumar, Deputy Chief Minister, regarding the demolition. He conveyed the All India Congress Committee’s “serious concern” that the operation should have been conducted with more sensitivity and that the human impact on affected families should have been central to planning.
Venugopal quoted the assurances he received from both leaders that they would “personally engage with the affected families,” establish a mechanism to address grievances, and “ensure rehabilitation and relief” for those impacted by the clearances.
Local residents and advocacy groups had criticised the drive for a lack of prior notice, claiming they were not given adequate time or information to vacate, despite living in the area for many years. Some said they held official identity documents and had invested significant resources in building their homes.
