Pakistan court extends Imran Khan's pre-arrest bail for 7 days
Friday, 26 August 2022
ISLAMABAD, Aug 25 (Reuters): A Pakistani court on Thursday extended former Prime Minister Imran Khan's pre-arrest bail for one week in a terrorism case over a speech, his lawyer said, shortly after the former premier appeared in court in person amidst tight security.
Khan's lawyer and political aide Babar Awan said bail had been granted until Sept 1, after which they will apply for another extension. The former premier maintained after the hearing he had said nothing wrong in the speech last week.
Police filed charges on Saturday against former cricket star and national team captain Khan over what they said was a threat when he spoke about police torture of an aide who faces sedition charges for inciting mutiny in the military.
Political tensions in Pakistan remain high as Khan rallies support for elections that are not due until October next year. The former premier, who has attracted large crowds in gatherings across the country since being ousted in April, said his opponents were spooked by his popularity.