An attorney for Pakistan's overthrown ex-Prime Minister Imran Khan claimed Thursday, June 8, that his client had been granted bail by the Islamabad High Court on new murder allegations. Thus, protecting him from further detention for 14 days.
Violent demonstrations broke out after Khan's arrest on May 9 and his detention for three days. In many pending criminal matters, he has been released on bond.
According to Reuters, Lawyer Gohar Khan claimed his client had made the trip to the capital city from Lahore to extend his bail in more than a dozen other cases and apply for bail in the murder case.
Naeem Haider, another of his attorneys, stated that he had been granted bail in every instance he had requested.
Imran Khan vs. Military
The 70-year-old former cricket star who became prime minister in 2018 is at odds with Pakistan's armed forces after being removed from office in a no-confidence vote.
Pakistan is a country where political disputes are often settled in the courts, as per Reuters. The military has governed the country directly or supervised civilian administrations ever since the country was founded.
Protests by Khan's followers, who demolished military buildings in response to his detention on corruption accusations, have added to concerns about the stability of the nuclear-armed nation.
Emerging Allegations
New allegations against Khan have been building up since he was released. On Wednesday, June 7, authorities accused him of murder in the death of a lawyer who was pursuing sedition charges against him.
Despite being accused in close to 150 separate incidents, Khan maintains his innocence.
On Thursday, the former prime minister will reportedly go to the anti-terrorism courts, anti-graft courts, and the High Court in Islamabad to request bail in more than a dozen cases.
In an online speech to party workers on Wednesday, Khan said that he was accepting of the possibility of him being detained again.
New Political Party
In a report by Bloomberg, former members of Prime Minister Imran Khan's political party have declared the formation of a new organization. This apparently delivers a severe blow to the leader as he faces against the powerful army and various court proceedings, including one for abetting a murder.
At a press conference on Thursday, Jahangir Khan Tareen, who was previously Khan's closest aide, declared that he would be taking charge of the Istehkam Pakistan Party.
As of yet, the number of defectors who have joined Tareen, most of whom abandoned Khan after the May 9 assaults on military facilities, is unknown.
