Khan is accused of making verbal threats to police officers and a judge in a speech at a rally over the weekend. The latest development on Thursday comes days after Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif’s government leveled terrorism charges against Khan, escalating political tensions and drawing condemnation from Khan’s Tehreek-e-Insaf party. Earlier, Khan’s lawyer Babar Awan requested the court to grant bail to Khan. Arriving in court, Khan was asked to walk towards the courtroom as ordinary suspects do. The court agreed to extend Khan’s protection from arrest until September 1. Hundreds of Khan’s supporters gathered outside the court building, chanting slogans against Sharif’s government. Protesters said Khan was being politically victimized by Sharif’s government. Later, Khan left the court for his home on the outskirts of Islamabad. Sharif replaced Khan in April when the former cricket star turned Islamist politician was ousted following a no-confidence vote in parliament. Legal experts say Khan could face several months to 14 years in prison, the equivalent of life in prison, if convicted of the terrorism charges at the trial, which has not yet begun. Thursday’s appearance by Khan before the anti-terrorism court amid tight security was the latest development in the saga between Pakistan’s government and the former prime minister, who has been holding mass rallies as he tries to return to power. Khan will also appear before the Islamabad High Court on August 31 to face contempt proceedings on charges of threatening a judge. A conviction in that case would bar him from politics for life under Pakistani law, as no convicted person can run for office. It is the second time Khan has faced contempt charges. After the 1993 elections he was summoned but pardoned by the supreme court after he described the behavior of the judiciary as “disgraceful” and said it failed to ensure free and fair elections. Legal experts say Khan has limited options and could avoid conviction if he apologizes for his comments against Justice Zeba Chaudhry, after telling her to “get ready for it, we will take action against you too”. Archie Bland and Nimo Omer take you to the top stories and what they mean, free every weekday morning Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain information about charities, online advertising and content sponsored by external parties. For more information, see our Privacy Policy. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and Google’s Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Since his ouster as prime minister, Khan has claimed – without providing evidence – that Pakistan’s powerful military was involved in a US plot to overthrow him. Washington, Pakistan’s military and Sharif’s government have all denied the claim. Khan came to power promising to break the pattern of family rule in Pakistan. His opponents argue that he was elected with the help of the powerful military, which has ruled the country for half of its 75-year history. Since being ousted from power, Khan has called for early elections and vowed to oust Sharif’s government through “people’s pressure”.
