Waqar Younis congratulates Imran Khan on winning 'fight'

Following the release of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan from custody, his former teammate Waqar Younis has congratulated him for "winning the war”.

“Won the fight but long way from winning the War. Congratulations Skipper Imran Khan,” tweeted the cricketer turned commentator. He also prayed for the former prime minister’s safety.

Earlier this week when Imran Khan was arrested by the Rangers from the premises of Islamabad High Court (IHC) sparking countrywide protests that also claimed several lives.

Younis was among a handful of cricketers that rallied behind him.

“More power to you Imran Khan, let’s protect our leader [and] freedom,” Younis had tweeted back then.

A day earlier, the PTI chairman got blanket relief from the IHC as the authorities have been barred from arresting the deposed prime minister in any case till Monday morning (May 15).

In the first relief, a two-member special divisional bench granted two-week bail to the former prime minister in the Al-Qadir Trust corruption case, and later, the court barred authorities from arresting him till May 17 in any new case filed against him till May 9 — the day he was detained in the corruption case, which led to deadly protests.

Then, he sought transitory bail in four cases lodged against him in Lahore, in which the court awarded him bail till May 22 in the Zille Shah murder case, then, another bench barred authorities from arresting the former prime minister till the morning of May 15 while hearing the bail petition filed against three terrorism cases.

Khan was arrested in a corruption case involving a property tycoon. The former prime minister had immediately approached the high court for release but it had declared his arrest "legal".

However, the apex court released him on May 11 after concluding that he was taken into custody in violation of rules by law enforcement agencies.

Since being ousted from office last April, Khan has waged a tempestuous campaign for snap elections and fired unprecedented criticism at the coalition government and military who he blames for pulling him from power.

He has accused senior military and government officials of plotting a November assassination attempt that saw him shot in the leg during a rally.