Pakistan’s Supreme Court has declared the arrest of Imran Khan in the Al-Qadir Trust case as illegal and ordered his immediate release on interim bail. The former prime minister was directed to approach the Islamabad High Court (IHC) once again on Friday and get a regular bail. The court told the law enforcement authorities and the National Accountability Bureau of Pakistan (NAB) that people come to the court seeking justice and when someone who is in court to surrender themselves they should not be arrested. Imran Khan has been released on an interim bail and is directed to present himself before court at 11am (local time).
The court also rejected the PTI chief’s plea where he asked permission to return to Bani Gala and asked him to stay in Police Lines area in capital Islamabad. Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) directed the authorities to permit Imran Khan to meet up to ten people, including lawyers, friends, and family members.
The ruling Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) has reacted to the apex court’s ruling, with Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) (PML-(N)) leader and information minister Marriyum Aurangzeb calling for the chief justice Umar Ata Bandial to step down from the post of chief justice and join the PTI.
