LHC to hear Imran Khan's bail plea tomorrow

LAHORE: The Lahore High Court (LHC) accepted for hearing Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan's plea seeking bail in cases registered against him since May 9 — the day he was detained in the notorious Al-Qadir Trust case — and has fixed it for tomorrow (May 16).

The court also granted bail to Khan's wife Bushra Bibi till May 23, after the couple appeared before the court amid tight security to seek bail and details of cases registered against him from May 9 and onwards.

The former prime minister — who had been incarcerated for three days in the land corruption case — had filed the plea on Saturday, a day after being released on bail from Islamabad High Court, against all the new cases registered against him.

"I am being politically victimised. There is a risk of arrest as police have nominated me in several cases," the plea stated.

The PTI chief has made the Punjab inspector general and advocate general respondents in the case.

Khan's dramatic arrest came last week when he was getting his biometrics done at the Islamabad High Court (IHC). Heavy Rangers force took the former cricket star into custody, acting on National Accountability Bureau (NAB) orders, and whisked him away in a black Rivo. 

Violence ensued after the event which proved to be a major turn in the country's restive politics as thousands of supporters and PTI workers took to streets for protests. 

The countrywide demonstrations involved workers' clashes with police, vandalism and attack on state property and vital installations including General Headquarters and Lahore Corps Commander House. 

The dramatic saga also escalated tensions between Khan and the incumbent government as several cases were registered against the PTI chief and other party leaders for alleged involvement in inciting the riots.