Pakistan's ex-prime minister, Imran Khan, has been granted protected bail by the Supreme Court, after his dramatic arrest on corruption charges was deemed illegal. Khan was arrested on Tuesday as he arrived at a courthouse in Islamabad, where he pleaded not guilty to the charges brought by Pakistan's Election Commission. The charges relate to the alleged illegal sale of state gifts during his premiership. The 70-year-old politician faced counts of terrorism, sedition, and blasphemy, and sought preventive bail against other charges within court premises on Friday.
The Chief Justice, Umar Ata Bandial, declared that the whole process of Khan's arrest "needs to be backtracked" as it was unlawful because it took place on court premises. The court has also ordered that Khan could not be arrested on any charges filed after last Tuesday until 17 May. The ruling implies that he cannot be re-arrested on those charges for two weeks. Despite the rulings, the corruption charges against Khan still stand.
If Khan is convicted of the corruption charges, he would be disqualified from standing for office, possibly for life. Elections are due later this year, and his ousting from the political arena could significantly impact his party's electoral prospects. The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party believes that the charges against him are politically motivated, and analysts say the army's popularity has fallen since he fell out with them.
The dramatic saga has significantly escalated tensions between Khan and Pakistan's powerful military. Many analysts believe Khan's election win in 2018 happened with the help of the military, which both parties denied. However, he later lost his majority in parliament, amid mounting economic crises, after a series of defections.
Khan's arrest outside the courthouse on Tuesday sparked outrage among his supporters, with at least ten people killed and 2,000 arrested as unrest swept the country. The protests included an attack on a military commander's home residence in Lahore, which was set on fire. Although this week's violence petered out after the army was deployed in Islamabad and other areas, the country remains on edge.
Speaking to the BBC before his bail hearing, Khan expressed his concern about immediate re-arrest and urged authorities not to do so, stating, "there might be a huge reaction which will go out of control. Because mobs are out of control, no one controls mobs." He also denied that his party had been fueling unrest through social media posts calling for protests, stating that they had only called for peaceful protests and urged his supporters to "act within the constitution."
The ruling is significant for Pakistan, where corruption remains a significant issue, and the judiciary has been criticized for being too lenient towards those accused of corruption. Many see the decision as a test of the judiciary's commitment to tackling corruption and upholding the rule of law.
0 Comments