ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Friday granted pre-arrest interim bail to former prime minister and Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan in a ‘mutiny’ case.

IHC Chief Justice Aamer Farooq directed Mr Khan to join the investi­gation and gran­t­ed him an interim bail till May 3.

The FIR against Mr Khan was registered at the Ramna police station under sections 138 (abetment of act of insubordination by soldier, sailor or airman), 500 (defamation) and 505 (statements conducing to public mischief) of the Pakistan Penal Code.

According to the FIR, Mr Khan in his March 19 speech, which was aired on BOL News, made several allegations against a senior officer of the Inter-Serv­ices Intelligence (ISI) and allegedly conducted a “character assassination”.

The FIR also mentioned the speeches he delivered on November 4 and 11, 2022 and October 28 and 29, 2022, in which he allegedly used inappropriate words for the ISI and army officials.

It alleged that Mr Khan had used offensive language and had threatened the families of the senior offic­ers. He was also accused of provoking extremists and putting the lives of the family members of a senior officer under constant threat, it mentioned.

Mr Khan appeared in the courtroom of IHC chief justice in tight security along with his legal team and PTI leaders.

While the registrar office had raised the objections on the petition, including availability of an appropriate alternative forum to seek the remedy, the court overruled the administrative objection.

Advocate General for Islamabad Barrister Jahangir Khan Jadoon asked the court to dispel the impression of preferential treatment to Mr Khan, whose petition was heard the day it had been filed.

Justice Farooq remarked that he granted bail to at least two petitioners the same day. The court after granting interim bail to Mr Khan put off the hearing till May 3.