Imran Khan signs bond to appear before the court on March 18. Chairman PTI is scheduled to appear before the Lahore High Court. He is likely to be detained in connection with the Toshakhana case.
Khan promised on Wednesday that he would show up in court on the specified date in a letter to the president of the Lahore High Court bar.
On Tuesday, Imran Khan said he was mentally prepared to get arrested.
“I am mentally prepared because there’s a huge force outside. They have not just the police, they’ve got rangers there too, which is the army. And it seems as if Pakistan’s biggest terrorist is holed up inside,” Imran Khan told Al Jazeera amid the showdown between Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) supporters and the police over his likely arrest.
“I think they are determined, the reason why they want to rescue is not that they’re worried about rule of law, but because the biggest criminals are right now sitting in government, 60 per cent of the cabinet is on bail on corruption cases,” Khan was quoted as saying.
“They are petrified of the popularity of my party and so they want to remove me from the electoral contest,” Imran Khan said, adding, “according to all opinion polls, we would sweep this upcoming election and that’s why they want me removed from the scene.”
During the interview, Imran Khan also talked about a video wherein he asked his supporters to come out and fight for their “freedom”, saying that his request was not meant to be taken as a signal to break out into violent protests.
“Fight for their freedom means fighting for their fundamental rights, which means peacefully protesting for what you believe, the constitution and the law of the land. Never in my 26 years of politics have I ever asked my workers ever to be violent,” Khan said.
The former Pakistani prime minister also asserted that an attempt was made on his life because the PTI is expected to win the country’s provincial elections and because the government was attempting to imprison him.
The PTI chief alleged that he was under threat of death and would approach the Supreme Court to request that cases be heard in a secure location or to permit his appearance via video link.
