Imran appears in court, gets bail in murder case

Islamabad, June 8

Pakistan’s ousted former Prime Minister Imran Khan secured bail on Thursday from the Islamabad High Court over new murder charges, meaning he cannot be rearrested in connection with those charges for the next 14 days, his lawyer said. Khan was named in the killing of Supreme Court lawyer Abdul Razzaq Shar, who was shot dead in Quetta on June 6 by unknown gunmen.

Khan was arrested on May 9 for “corruption” and held for three days, triggering violent protests by his followers. He is now free on bail in a range of criminal cases. He had travelled to the capital from his Lahore home to seek bail in the murder case and extend his bail in over a dozen other cases to avoid a fresh arrest, said his lawyer Gohar Khan.

Another of his lawyers, Naeem Haider, said he also received bail in all the other cases in which he had applied for it.

Khan says he is facing nearly 150 cases and denies guilt in all of them. Reuters

Defectors float party

Disgruntled leaders, who quit Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party, have launched a new party. Jahangir Khan Tareen announced the launch of the Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party.