Pakistan Court Extends Bail For Ex-PM Khan in Terror Complaint

(Bloomberg) -- A Pakistan anti-terror court extended preemptive bail for former premier Imran Khan until Sept. 20 following a police complaint seeking action against him under the country’s terrorism law for a speech he made last month.

Judge Jawad Abbas Hassan granted bail, Khan’s lawyer Babar Awan told reporters in the capital Islamabad Monday. No other details were immediately available.

Khan has skipped appearing before a police committee set up to investigate the complaint filed over comments he made against senior police officers and a judge during last month’s rally. Khan has not been formally charged yet and has been seeking preemptive bail to avoid arrest.

On Monday, Awan said Khan was ready to cooperate with any investigation.

A separate court is also set to frame contempt of court charges against the former prime minister on Sept. 22 stemming from the same speech. Any criminal conviction can send him to jail and bar him from running for parliament for five years.

Khan’s legal challenges risk setting off street protests as Pakistan already grapples with soaring inflation and the aftermath of catastrophic flooding.

Khan, who has gathered massive crowds to his rallies, has been demanding early elections in the country after he was ousted from office in April through a no-confidence vote in parliament. He blames the government of Shehbaz Sharif for trying to disqualify him from contesting elections that must be held by the end of next year.

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