PESHAWAR - Peshawar High Court on Thursday granted transit bail to PTI Chairman Imran Khan for three weeks as he appeared in court with the bail plea.
Hearing a petition filed by Imran Khan through his lawyer Babar Awan, PHC Chief Justice Qaiser Rasheed announced the verdict, granting Imran the bail till June 25. The court also asked the PTI chairman to submit Rs50,000 surety bond.
The court also directed Imran not to address any rally in the court premises, to which the petitioner replied in the affirmative.
The petition stated that the PTI wanted a peaceful march on May 25 but that the government had used force against the protesters.
“Supreme Court also took note of the excessive use of force by the government such as teargas shelling, baton charge, and firing and later the apex court ordered the released all PTI workers who had been arrested. However, the police and state did not do so despite the Supreme Court instruction,” it added. Imran Khan, in the petition, termed the registration of FIR a result of a conspiracy against fundamental rights under the freedom of association, movement and expression.
It merits a mention here that in the wake of end to PTI’s long march, Imran Khan and other PTI leaders were booked in 14 cases registered in various police stations of Islamabad over vandalism of the party activists. Just before the beginning of Imran Khan's march, the authorities had invoked Section-144, a law used to prevent gatherings, and as a result major thoroughfares were blocked by placing shipping containers on them. Later, the police used teargas shells and other measures to disperse the PTI activists.