ISLAMABAD: Lashing out at the coalition government over lodging a terrorism case against him, PTI Chairman Imran Khan on Thursday said that Pakistan has become a laughing stock all over the world and headlines are published in international media.
Speaking outside the Federal Judicial Academy in Islamabad after appearing before an anti-terrorism case, Imran Khan said, “When I raised my voice against the sexual abuse of Shahbaz Gill and said that I will take legal action, a terror case was filed against me.”
The magistrate, he claimed, despite knowing that Gill was tortured in custody again handed over him to the police.
“The case against me has become an international story and it seemed that Pakistan is a banana republic.”
His statement comes as a couple of US media outlets published stories and pictures of him commenting on the terror case filed against him.
“Whoever is making these decisions or should think of the country,” Imran Khan said, adding they are trying to arrest the leader of the biggest party in this case.
“They are afraid of the power of Tehreek-e-Insaf, there have not been such big rallies in the history of Pakistan,” he said.
Imran Khan doing technical knockouts out of fear to save himself, this is making fun of Pakistan.
The PTI chairman said that they [coalition government] are trying to knock him out on technical grounds due to the fear of the PTI’s popularity.
Bail granted in terror case
Earlier, the PTI chairman was granted pre-arrest bail by the ATC in a terrorism case filed against him for threatening senior police officials and a judge in a public rally till September 1.
On August 21, a first information report (FIR) was registered against Imran Khan under the Anti-Terrorism Act for threatening an additional sessions judge and senior police officers of the Islamabad Police at a rally in the federal capital’s F-9 Park on August 20.
The PTI chairman appeared in person before the court where ATC judge Raja Jawwad Abbas heard his plea.
Terming the terrorism case against Imran Khan “political victimization”, his counsels Babar Awan and Muhammad Ali Bukhari have filed a petition in the ATC seeking their client’s pre-arrest bail.
After hearing arguments, the ATC judge granted Imran Khan interim bail till September 1 against Rs100,000 surety bond. The court also issued notices to the police and the plaintiff in the case.