LAHORE: Former Prime Minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan has reached the Lahore High Court (LHC) to appear for a hearing pertaining to his bail application in a case regarding protests outside the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).
Television footage showed Imran’s convoy being showered with rose petals as it travelled to the LHC, with a sizable crowd of PTI supporters encircling the cars and singing pro-Imran slogans.
Protesters can be seen trying to force their way into the court but law enforcement agencies are trying to stave them off.
On Monday afternoon, the former prime minister left for LHC after he was directed by the court to appear by 5pm.
The court has said that it will wait for 10 more minutes after which the judges will leave.
His party had said that Imran would only come if certain security measures were in place.
چیئرمین عمران خان کی زمان پارک سے لاہور ہائیکورٹ روانگی کے مناظر۔ #لاہور_ہائیکورٹ_پہنچیں pic.twitter.com/0ShsuKyIBp
— PTI (@PTIofficial) February 20, 2023
The case
A case was filed against Imran after party workers took to the streets and held demonstrations outside ECP offices across Pakistan after the ECP disqualified Imran in the Toshakhana case.
On Thursday, the LHC had rejected Imran’s bail plea over non-appearance and directed him to appear before the court on February 20 (today). Imran’s lawyer Azhar Siddique submitted his power of attorney on behalf of the former prime minister, who had been asked to appear before the court in person.
Siddiqui told Justice Sheikh that his client wanted to withdraw his bail application as the Islamabad High Court (IHC) had already granted relief to Imran – last week, the IHC had barred a banking court from passing any direction on the former PM’s bail plea in a prohibited funding case.
