Islamabad: According to a Geo News report, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) supporters were happy over the release of their leader Imran Khan and celebrated the apex court’s decision. They took to the streets soon after the Pakistan Supreme Court’s decision to release party president Imran Khan in the Al-Qadir Trust case. PTI leader Usman Dar, former Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Youth Affairs, tweeted, “All Pakistanis, wherever they are, should come out in their respective regions to express solidarity and gratitude to the Supreme Court.”
He called upon party supporters to hit the streets to express solidarity and gratitude to the apex court, reported Geo News. PTI leader Imran Ismail is also happy with the Supreme Court’s decision. “Supreme Court frees Imran Khan. Long live Pakistan,” he wrote on the popular microblogging site.
Pakistani actress Misha Khan thanked the apex court and Chief Justice of Pakistan Umar Ata Bandial for giving a “fair and correct verdict”. According to Geo News, Imran Khan’s ex-wife Jemima Goldsmith also celebrated the Supreme Court’s decision. “Ultimately common sense triumphs,” Goldsmith wrote on Twitter.
Imran Khan’s arrest illegal: Pak Supreme Court
The apex court on Tuesday declared that the arrest of the former prime minister was “illegal” and directed the authorities to release him “immediately”. Soon after, supporters and party workers welcomed the court’s decision.
The Supreme Court, in an order issued on Imran Khan’s plea against his arrest, has allowed the former prime minister to meet 10 guests as long as he wishes to stay at the Islamabad Police Lines guest house, reports Dawn.
PTI has announced that party chief Imran Khan will address his supporters on the Srinagar Highway in the federal capital tomorrow (Friday) after appearing in the Islamabad High Court. In a statement on Twitter, the party urged its supporters from across the country to assemble at the spot at 10 am to “express solidarity” with Imran.
PML-N leaders angry over Imran Khan’s release
After the Supreme Court ordered the immediate release of Imran Khan, leaders of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) objected to the “double standards of justice”, Dawn reported.
Reacting to the decision, PML-N chief organizer Maryam Nawaz criticized Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial and asked him to step down and join the opposition party, Geo News reported.
Addressing a press conference in Islamabad, PML-N leader Maryam Aurangzeb said that “a few hundred armed protesters and terrorists have attacked country and state properties” in connection with the protest by PTI supporters. You all saw how PTI leaders incited violence and ordered attacks on Imran Khan’s instructions, he alleged.
Besides, he cited the Islamabad High Court order, insisting that Imran’s arrest was done in a legal manner, Dawn reported. “But it seems the Supreme Court is giving relief to a criminal, a terrorist and a gangster leading armed groups – it is like supporting a terrorist,” she lamented.
He further said that many PML-N leaders had faced arrests and raids in the past but no one raised any questions. “Because all that was done in support of Ladla (a favorite child)” which insulted the Scheduled Castes.
Directly addressing the Chief Justice of Pakistan, he said, “If this love affair had ended then, Chief Justice Sahab, the court would not have been insulted, as is happening today.”
“Courts are disrespected when they become havens for criminals, terrorists and armed groups. Courts, Constitution and justice are disrespected. Courts are disrespected when their decisions favor criminals,” he said.
She argued that if the court would support “terrorists” and “armed groups” who “set my country on fire, everyone else deserves this relief too”. Reacting to the development, PML-N leader Khawaja Asif addressed a press conference in Islamabad, highlighting the “double standards of justice”, reported Dawn. He began by recalling that PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif and several other party leaders and workers had been arrested in the past.
In this connection, the Defense Minister also mentioned a video released before Imran’s arrest. In his video message published before his arrest […] Imran did not incite violence and did not preach? And what was the result of that violence?”
protests in pakistan
Imran was arrested in the Al-Qadir Trust case on Tuesday afternoon from the Islamabad High Court complex before attending the hearing of two other cases in which he has been accused of corruption.
The arrest of the former prime minister sparked violent protests across the country, during which at least eight people were killed, many were injured and thousands were arrested in a police crackdown. There were several incidents of arson.