The Lahore High Court on Monday granted protective bail to anchorperson Imran Riaz Khan in two FIRs registered against him in Sindh province on charges of inciting people against the state institutions including the army and judiciary.

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Taking up a petition of the anchorperson for bail in a FIR registered in Nawab Shah, Justice Tariq Nadeem granted bail to the petitioner and restrained the police from arresting him till May 27.

The judge observed that since the petitioner surrendered himself before the court to enable him to approach the court of the relevant jurisdiction to seek bail before arrest. The judge without touching the merits of the case allowed the protective bail to the petitioner.

The judge observed that the bail would automatically lapse on May 27 after 2pm.

Hearing the other petition of Khan against FIR lodged in Dhabeji, Justice Chaudhry Abdul Aziz granted the same relief of protective bail to the petitioner till May 31.

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Advocate Mian Ali Ashfaq appeared on behalf of the anchorperson and argued before the court that the cases against his client were politically motivated and based on mala fide intention. He said the petitioner wanted to appear before the relevant courts but there was an apprehension of his arrest. He said the complainant in one of the FIRs was a notorious drug dealer.

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