LAHORE: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan was granted bail by an anti-terrorism court (ATC) on Tuesday in cases related to the violence during the 2014 dharna in Islamabad.
The PTI chief was summoned by the court after both him and his legal counsel, Babar Awan, failed to appear before the court earlier in the day.
ATC judge Shahrukh Arjumand accepted his appeal for bail during the court hearing.
Speaking to the media outside the court, Imran said that the court’s decision proves that he indeed is Sadiq (truthful) and Ameen (righteous). Referring to the Supreme Court (SC) verdict that led to the disqualification of the former premier Nawaz Sharif, he added that he was being ‘favoured’ by the courts because he abides by the law.
He said that he had never stolen anything in his life and his going after the Sharif family was the only reason there were cases registered against him.
The four cases against the PTI chief include that of the attack on the state television building, Parliament and the then Islamabad SSP Operations Asmatullah Junejo.
Media reports said Awan could not appear before the ATC as he was busy with cases being heard by the SC.
While presenting his arguments, Babar Awan pointed out that so far 11 witnesses have recorded their statements in the SSP Junejo attack case.
“Not a single witness had alleged that Imran carried out the attack,” Awan said, “Imran was not even present at the site where SSP Junejo was attacked.”