On Tuesday, Imran Khan, the former prime minister of Pakistan, actively continued his legal fight before a court in Islamabad, the nation’s capital, which granted him protection from arrest until the beginning of the next month in numerous cases. He faces accusations of terrorism and inciting violence.
The change occurs at a time when the government has been aggressively prosecuting Khan’s supporters. Khan, currently Pakistan’s leading opposition figure, faced detention earlier this month, leading to thousands of his supporters organizing violent protests and causing damage to government buildings and military facilities.
Only a few days after the country’s Supreme Court directive for Khan’s release, the violence subsided. However, clashes with the police resulted in the deaths of ten individuals.
Khan, who Parliament removed through a no-confidence vote in April of last year, has actively fought against the Shahbaz Sharif administration, arguing the unlawful nature of his removal and calling for early elections.
Since then, authorities have initiated over 100 judicial proceedings against the 70-year-old former cricket star turned Islamist politician. Imran Khan faces accusations of terrorism in eight cases related to the violent protests by his supporters and his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf opposition party. Additionally, he is accused of graft allegedly committed during his time in government.
After receiving protection from arrest on terrorism-related allegations until June 8 from the Islamabad court, Khan and his wife personally drove to the neighbouring city of Rawalpindi. There, they appeared before the National Accountability Bureau to respond to inquiries in a separate graft case.
The couple stands accused of accepting a gift of land to establish a private university in exchange for providing benefits to a real estate tycoon. Khan disputes the allegation, maintaining that neither he nor his wife, Bushra Bibi, committed any crime.
