Pakistan: Imran Khan, wife get interim bail in separate cases

A court in Pakistan's Islamabad on Tuesday extended the interim bail of former Prime Minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan in eight cases till June 8. Earlier in the day, his wife, Bushra Bibi, received bail in the Al-Qadir Trust case until May 31. The couple will now appear before the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) for questioning in the Al-Qadir Trust case.

• The NAB arrested Khan earlier this month in the alleged Al-Qadir Trust corruption case, following which widespread violent protests broke out across the country against his arrest. The Supreme Court later declared the arrest illegal and ordered Khan's release.
• With Pakistan on the verge of a default, the ruling Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) government has been accused of falsely implicating Khan over political rivalry.

Khan is still facing dozens of cases related to corruption, hiding assets, treason, blasphemy, inciting violence, and terrorism. Earlier, he said that there was an 80% chance that he would be arrested again. However, he called on his supporters to remain calm even if he was held. The violent protests against his arrest earlier resulted in at least eight deaths.

The eight cases in which Khan's interim bail was extended were related to the violence that erupted at the Islamabad Judicial Complex in March. The cases were lodged in different police stations in Islamabad after Khan's supporters clashed with the police during his appearance before a court in the Toshakhana case, in which he is accused of concealing income by selling official gifts.

The NAB alleges that Khan, Bibi, and other PTI leaders received PKR 5 billion and vast swathes of land from Bahria Town, an Islamabad-based real estate company, for protection in a money laundering case. The land was a "donation" to Al-Qadir Trust, which had only two trustees—Khan and Bibi. The NAB claims that the "settlement" cost the national exchequer PKR 50 billion ($240 million).