[ad_1]
A Pakistani court has extended former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s protection until the end of the month after police brought terrorism charges against the country’s popular opposition leader, officials said.
A court has protected Mr Khan from arrest until Sept. 1 over allegations he threatened police and a female judge during a speech over the weekend.
The developments ahead of Mr Khan’s relief in court have raised fears of violent clashes between police and Mr Khan, who is leading mass rallies and seeking snap elections after being ousted from power.
The government has said elections will be held next year as scheduled.
Mr Khan told reporters outside court on Thursday that he never threatened anyone.
He said the terrorism charges against him were politically motivated and Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif’s government feared Mr Khan’s growing popularity.
“You’re making fun of Pakistan,” Khan said of Sharif’s government.
Later, Mr Khan went to another court and this week criminal proceedings were launched against him, accusing him of violating a ban on rallies in the capital Islamabad. In this case, he was also protected from arrest until 7 September.
Earlier, Mr Khan’s lawyers had asked an anti-terrorism court to protect Mr Khan from arrest. Babar Awan said the terrorism charges against Mr Khan were “an act of retaliation”.
Arriving at the courtroom, Mr Khan was asked to walk to the courtroom like a regular suspect.
Hundreds of Khan supporters gathered outside the courthouse, chanting slogans against Sharif’s government. Demonstrators say Mr Khan is politically a victim of Mr Sharif’s government.
Later, Mr Khan left the courtroom to return to his home on the outskirts of Islamabad.
Mr Sharif replaced Mr Khan in April when he was ousted in a no-confidence vote in parliament. Legal experts said Mr Khan could face between months and 14 years in prison, equivalent to life in prison if he is found guilty by a court during a trial that has not yet begun to indict him on terrorism charges.
Mr Khan’s appearance at an anti-terrorism court under tight security on Thursday was the latest in a saga between the Pakistani government and Mr Khan, who has been holding mass rallies seeking to return to power.
Mr Khan is also due to appear in the Islamabad High Court on August 31 to face contempt proceedings for threatening a judge. In this case, his conviction would mean he would be disqualified from politics for life under Pakistani law. Anyone convicted of a crime cannot run for office.
This is the second time Khan, the former cricket star-turned-Islamic politician, has faced contempt charges. He was subpoenaed by the Supreme Court after the 1993 election but pardoned after describing the judiciary’s conduct as “shameful” and saying it could not ensure free and fair elections.
Legal experts said Mr Khan’s options were limited and he could have avoided a conviction if he apologized for his remarks against Judge Zebha Chaudhry, when he told her “get ready and we will take action against you too”.
[ad_2]
Source link