UPDATE - Court grants bail to Pakistan’s ex-Premier Khan in corruption case, orders his release

UPDATES WITH VERDICT DETAILS, BACKGROUND

By Aamir Latif

KARACHI, Pakistan (AA) - A Pakistani high court on Wednesday granted bail to the country’s incarcerated former Prime Minister Imran Khan in a corruption case, and ordered his release, court records said.

Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb of the Islamabad High Court granted bail against two surety bonds of Rs 1 million ($3,611).

The bail comes days before the call for a long march toward the capital Islamabad by Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, demanding the ex-premier’s release.

Khan, along with his wife Bushra Bibi, is accused of illegally retaining a jewelery set gifted by a foreign leader — including a necklace, earrings, bracelets, and rings — at a low price, which, according to prosecution caused significant loss to the exchequer.

The two deny the accusations.

Bushra Bibi is already on bail in the case, commonly known as the “Toshakhana-2 case.”

A similar case was thrown out by the Islamabad High Court earlier this year.

Despite the release orders, it is unclear if the former premier would be released as he is wanted in a string of other cases ranging from corruption to terrorism.

Khan, 72 is currently languishing in a jail in northeastern garrison city of Rawalpindi.

He was ousted through a successful no-trust move in April 2022, slightly over a year before completion of a 5–year constitutional term.