Chairman PTI Imran Khan at High Court Lahore Today

Imran Khan, the former premier and current Chairman of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), had his protective bail extended by Lahore High Court (LHC) in five cases registered against him in the federal capital. The hearing was held under tight security in the presence of a two-member bench comprised of Justice Tariq Saleem Sheikh and Justice Anwaar Hussain.

The cases registered against Imran Khan are related to the protests he held in Islamabad in 2014, demanding the resignation of then-Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. The protests, which lasted for over a hundred days, led to the deaths of several people and caused immense damage to public property. The cases filed against Imran Khan allege that he incited violence and caused chaos during the protests, leading to him being charged with terrorism, rioting and destruction of public property.

Imran Khan, who denies the charges and calls them politically motivated, had applied for protective bail in the LHC, which was granted by the court for a period of three weeks. The protective bail expires on September 25.

During the hearing, Imran Khan’s lawyer argued that his client was being implicated in the cases for political reasons and that he had not done anything wrong. The lawyer added that Imran Khan had not incited violence, and he had only exercised his constitutional right to protest peacefully.

The prosecutor, however, argued that Imran Khan and his supporters had broken the law and committed serious offences, leading to the deaths of innocent people and significant damage to public property. The prosecutor added that Imran Khan should face the trial as it was his constitutional right to do so.

The LHC judges reserved the verdict on extensions of protective bail granted to Imran Khan and set the next date for the hearing on September 25, the same day when Imran Khan’s protective bail is scheduled to expire.

The case has been a long-running saga in Pakistan, with the two major political parties, the PTI and the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), bitterly divided over the issue. While the PTI continues to support Imran Khan, the PML-N has accused him of inciting violence and causing chaos in the federal capital.

The ongoing legal wrangling has further highlighted the deep divisions within the Pakistani political landscape, with the opposition parties accusing the government of using the legal system to silence the opposition.

Many analysts believe that the case against Imran Khan is an attempt to weaken his party’s hold on power, especially as the country gears up for the next general elections, which are expected to be held in 2023. Imran Khan’s party, the PTI, came to power in 2018, promising to usher in a new era of political stability and prosperity in Pakistan. However, despite some early successes, the party has struggled to implement its agenda fully and faced many challenges, including a financial crisis and the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

The case against Imran Khan has also raised concerns about the state of the democratic process in Pakistan, with many critics arguing that the government is using the legal system to silence dissent and consolidate their grip on power.

Despite the challenges and controversies, Imran Khan’s government has pushed ahead with some ambitious reforms, such as the construction of the $60 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and the launch of the Ehsaas program, which provides financial support to the country’s most vulnerable citizens.

While Imran Khan’s protective bail has been granted, the legal process itself is far from over. The cases against him continue to drag on, and the outcome remains uncertain. What is clear, however, is that this case will have far-reaching implications for the future of Pakistani politics and democracy.