After months in jail, Imran Khan eyes bail on June 11 as his party readies new protest plan

Behind bars since August 2023, former Pakistani prime minister Imran Khan could be granted bail on June 11 in the high-profile Al-Qadir Trust case, a senior leader of his party has said. The Islamabad High Court is scheduled to hear petitions seeking suspension of sentences handed to Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi, in the 190 million Pound case.

Gohar Ali Khan, chief of Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), expressed confidence that the court hearing on June 11 would mark a significant development for both Khan and his wife, though he did not elaborate on why.

The hearing had earlier been delayed after the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) sought more time to prepare its arguments, according to ARY News.

Speaking to ARY News today, Gohar said PTI would soon partner with opposition parties in a new political movement, led from jail by Khan himself. “The party will address a press conference on June 9 regarding it,” he said, adding that a budget strategy was already in place.

Khan had earlier declared from prison that he would lead protests against the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) led coalition government. This week, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur warned of a post-Eid Al-Adha movement for Khan's release.

Facing multiple convictions and ongoing trials, Khan has continued to call the February 8 general elections the “Mother of All Rigging,” accusing PML-N and the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) of stealing the mandate.

Meanwhile, Rana Sanaullah, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Political Affairs, urged PTI to accept Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's invitation for dialogue and collaborate on reforms to election laws.

Gohar also claimed Bushra Bibi was being held without charges to coerce Khan. He denied rumors of rifts within PTI and emphasized no deals would be struck for Khan’s release.

The case stems from a £190 million settlement reached between the UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA) and property tycoon Malik Riaz’s family. In 2019, the NCA froze bank accounts holding £100 million, which it suspected were proceeds of overseas corruption.

(With inputs from PTI)