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.
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Vijayendra slams Cong govt over alleged medicine shortage, irregularities in health dept
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka BJP president B Y Vijayendra on Wednesday hit out at the Congress government over alleged medicine shortages, large-scale irregularities and disruption of services in the health department.
The situation had deteriorated to such an extent that doctors were forced to protest on the streets, he claimed.
Addressing a press conference here, he said the Siddaramaiah-led government lacked the will to resolve pressing public issues and accused it of indulging in "blame politics" instead of governance.
"Due to the irresponsibility of this Congress government, the health department itself is in the ICU. There is a severe shortage of medicines in government hospitals. The 108 ambulance services are facing severe problems. Doctors have been pushed to the streets to protest. The Congress government celebrates 1,000 days in power with achievement conventions, but it has failed to solve real problems," he said.
He criticised the state government for allegedly shutting down Jan Aushadhi centres located on government hospital premises, claiming that needy patients are suffering as they are not getting medicines.
"For the past two months, government doctors themselves have been advising poor patients to buy medicines from private pharmacies because medicines are unavailable in hospitals," he alleged.
Vijayendra further alleged that the state government has reportedly not cleared Rs 143 crore in dues to institutions providing CT scan and MRI services.
"As a result, needy patients in rural and urban areas are unable to access these services. Pregnant women are facing hardships. Doctors are forced to protest on the streets...This government claims to be one that delivers on its promises. But does it have even the slightest concern for how poor people are struggling in the healthcare sector," he alleged.
The BJP state president claimed that the Congress government under Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and its deputy D K Shivakumar is not pro-poor; instead, it is a government that supports middlemen.
"Who is responsible for the medicine shortage in government hospitals and medical colleges? The state government and the concerned ministers are responsible. According to information available to me, under pressure from influential individuals, irregularities are taking place in medicine procurement. Instead of purchasing medicines through authorised central and state agencies, the government has moved to fragmented district- and taluk-level tenders," he claimed.
He further alleged that due to commission demands of 15-20 per cent, many companies and public enterprises are not participating in tenders, worsening the system.
Vijayendra claimed that the Karnataka State Medical Supplies Corporation's procurement system has been sidelined, leading to an artificial shortage of medicines.
He also alleged that a private individual from Mangaluru is controlling the state's medicine procurement system, supplying medicines to most government hospitals.
"This has led to market prices being inflated. Medicines costing Rs 100 are reportedly being purchased for Rs 300. I will provide more documents and evidence in the coming days," he claimed.
He also alleged that staff associated with the 108 ambulance services have not been paid salaries for the past eight to nine months.
"The government must take responsibility and reform the system instead of protecting middlemen," he added.
