Imran Khan appears before anti-terrorism court

Pakistan’s former prime minister Imran Khan on Tuesday appeared before an anti-terrorism court in four cases, including the attack on Lahore Corp Commander House, and submitted surety bonds in connection with his pre-arrest bail till June 2. ”Khan appeared before the ATC Lahore judge Ijaz Ahmad Buttar and submitted surety bonds worth PKR 100,000 each in the four terrorism cases in which he had already been given pre-arrest bail till June 2,” a court official told PTI. As the 70-year-old chairman of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party appeared in the court amid high security, a group of lawyers chanted slogans in his favour. Khan’s counsel also challenged the search warrants of the former premier’s Zaman Park Lahore residence in the anti-terrorism court. The judge summoned the Punjab police DIG (operations) for next hearing and directed him to submit a reply. On May 9, violent protests erupted after the arrest of Khan by paramilitary Rangers in Islamabad. His party workers vandalised over 20 military installations and government buildings, including the Lahore Corps Commander House, Mianwali airbase and the ISI building in Faisalabad. The Army headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi was also attacked by the mob for the first time. Khan was later released on bail. Law enforcement agencies have arrested over 10,000 workers of Khan’s Pakistan party across Pakistan, 4,000 of them from Punjab. Police put the death toll in violent clashes to 10 while Khan’s party claims 40 of its workers lost their lives in the firing by security personnel.