The Islamabad High Court today approved bail for former prime minister Imran Khan on Wednesday in the Toshakhana 2.0 case, after which there are speculations that he will be released from jail.
However, his release remains uncertain as the former prime minister continues to serve his sentence in the Toshakhana case. Additionally, proceedings related to the events of May 9 are still pending, further complicating his legal situation.
The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has announced a major protest scheduled for November 24. Under the leadership of Bushra Bibi, PTI supporters are set to march, presenting three key demands to the ShahbEz-led government. First among these demands is the immediate release of Imran Khan, which has been the focal point of their campaign.
The founder chairman will not be able to get out of jail because his acquittal plea in the £190 million case has already been rejected by the High Court, and the trial is ongoing in the trial court. A conviction in this case seems inevitable.
In five cases related to May 9, the founder chairman is currently on judicial remand, and a hearing for these cases is scheduled for November 27. Since his bail bonds have not been submitted, Punjab Police is likely to make arrests in these cases as well. Just as court dates for Yasmin Rashid and Shah Mahmood Qureshi keep getting delayed without decisions on their bail pleas, legal experts believe this case will be handled in a similar manner.
Another important point is that it is no mere coincidence that Imran Niazi was suddenly granted bail today. A while back, Bushra Bibi was also released. The meetings in jail were part of the same sequence. It was already evident that PTI was engaging in a façade, and the protest on November 24 is nothing more than a staged drama. Today, this has been proven as well.
However, the government has shown no indication of yielding to PTI’s demands. Observers note that any potential release of Imran Khan would likely be tied to new developments in the Toshakhana case, which continues to be a point of contention.
The November 24 protest is expected to be a critical test of PTI’s ability to mobilise public support and pressure the government on this issue.
