LAHORE: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan received a warm welcome from thousands of PTI workers at his Zaman Park residence in Lahore in the wee hours of Saturday.
This came after the Islamabad High Court (IHC) granted him a 10-day transitory bail in multiple cases, including the Al-Qadir Trust corruption case and the murder case of Ali Bilal alias Zille Shah.
A large number of PTI workers had gathered outside Imran Khan’s residence to greet their leader with drum beats and dancing. The party enthusiasts showered rose petals on Mr Khan to express their joy and enthusiasm.
To add to the celebrations, a massive fireworks display was also organized to welcome the PTI chief.
Earlier, Imran Khan faced unexpected hurdles on Thursday after being granted bail by the Islamabad High Court (IHC) in multiple cases. Despite receiving bail, he was not allowed to leave the IHC premises due to security concerns.
Imran Khan reportedly tried multiple times to leave the court, but the security forces present at the scene asked him to remain inside. There were also reports of gunfire at the court premises, adding to the tension of the situation.
Frustrated with the situation, Imran Khan issued a video message, urging his supporters to prepare for peaceful protests as the Islamabad police was preventing him from leaving the court. After a short while, Imran Khan was finally allowed to leave the court premises.
On his way to Lahore, Imran Khan recorded another video, where he claimed that there was no security threat and no disturbance throughout his journey to Lahore. He accused the Islamabad Police of lying to him about the security concerns.
The IHC had earlier barred law enforcement agencies from arresting Mr. Khan in any case lodged against him across the country until Monday, May 15. The court also issued orders to bar security forces from arresting Mr. Khan in any case lodged after May 9 until May 17, and to stop proceedings in the Toshakhana case filed by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) against Mr. Khan for allegedly concealing gifts.
The decision to grant bail to Mr. Khan in the Lahore cases was taken by a two-member bench comprising Justice Tariq Mehmood Jehangiri and Justice Ejaz Ishaq Khan.
Mr. Khan had moved the court for protective bails in four cases, including the murder case of Ali Bilal alias Zille Shah. The Punjab police had nominated Mr. Khan and other PTI leaders in Shah’s murder case, which allegedly occurred during PTI’s protests in Lahore. However, the PTI claimed that Mr. Shah had been murdered by the police.
