Daily Times

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan on Friday said that everyone should pray for unity among the judges in the Supreme Court and warned that “division” at the top court would be tragic, a private TV channel reported.

Speaking to media persons ahead of hearing at the Lahore High Court (LHC), the former premier said that the division among the Supreme Court would be a tragedy for the country. “Unless we do not save the Constitution, you cannot save the country either,” said the PTI chief while berating the government for “running away from elections” and not caring about Constitution or the law. Imran Khan said that the Supreme Court (SC) is protecting democracy in the country and the nation will have to back the top court and the Constitution.

He said that PTI will stage a series of protests after Eidul Fitr. He alleged that the rulers planned to start crackdowns on PTI leaders and workers after April 27. He added that the caretaker government has not yet arrested a single person associated with the ruling Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N). Khan said that 3,000 PTI workers were arrested by the government.

The PTI chief said that they will not remain silent on the atrocities. He appealed to the nation to start preparations for peaceful protests after Eid. He asked the rulers to take steps for protecting the nation.

Meanwhile, the LHC granted Khan bail in a case registered against him for putting the “families of army officers at risk”.

During the hearing, Justice Najafi asked Khan’s lawyer if his client wants to appear before the court concerned to seek bail.

At this, PTI chief’s lawyer replied that they want to approach the court concerned. “We are leaving for Islamabad on April 18 and we want to surrender in the court concerned,” he added.

The court then approved the bail till April 26. Justice Ali Baqar Najafi directed the PTI chief to refer to the court concerned by the next date. The case was registered against the former prime minister at Islamabad’s Ramna Police Station on April 6. The complaint was lodged by Magistrate Manzoor Ahmed. The first information report (FIR) stated that the PTI chief in one of his speeches used “inappropriate language” against military officers which includes sections 500, 505 and 138 of the Pakistan Penal Code.

The PTI chief in his petition said that he “is absolutely innocent and has been falsely implicated with ulterior motives and malafide intentions in the above-mentioned case just to tarnish his reputation, harm his growing mandate among masses and victimise him politically”. “Being head of the largest political party and aggrieved from such malpractice, the petitioner craves for the kind indulgence of this court for the grant of protective bail,” stated the petition. The deposed prime minister said that “a series of false criminal cases have been registered against him, the senior leadership of PTI and active participants since past few months.”

He added that the PTI leaders had been severely tortured and humiliated during custody in the past and this is another attempt made by the state functionaries. “That an inordinate and unexplained delay of (18) days in lodging the instant case is concerning and raises questions about the intention behind it. It appears that this time was used for careful planning and seeking instructions to register a malicious case against the petitioner, solely to satisfy their political adversaries,” he contended in the petition.