A court in Pakistan granted pre-arrest bail to former prime minister Imran Khan on Sunday, officials said.
It comes a day after an arrest warrant was issued for him in a contempt case in connection with his controversial speech against a judge and other officials at a public rally in August.
Crowds of party workers and supporters gathered outside Bani Gala, the residence of the former prime minister in Islamabad, to stop any attempts to arrest him by police.
At the rally, Mr Khan, chairman of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party, reportedly warned judge Zeba Chaudhry and the judiciary of consequences over what he described as “biased” attitudes towards his movement.
“Islamabad High Court has granted pre-arrest bail to Imran Khan this morning,” Faisal Chaudhry, Mr Khan’s lawyer, told The National on Sunday.
The cricket star-turned-politician has been facing a spate of legal challenges since he was ousted in a confidence vote in April by a united opposition led by his successor, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who is leading a multi-party government.
Last month, a court ordered the removal of terrorism charges from the contempt case against Mr Khan, saying his alleged offence did not match the charge, his lawyer said.
Mr Khan issued an apology in the contempt case to prevent a possible conviction and ineligibility to contest the elections for five years.
Mr Khan has been leading rallies since he was ousted. He has demanded snap polls, which the ruling coalition has rejected, saying the elections will be held as scheduled later next year.
During recent public rallies, he said he would call for a march towards Islamabad to press the government into announcing early elections.
Mr Khan’s party rules Punjab, the country's most populous province, and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and has support from the two provinces that border Islamabad.
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
David Haye record
Total fights: 32
Wins: 28
Wins by KO: 26
Losses: 4
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More on Turkey's Syria offence
Intercontinental Cup
Namibia v UAE Saturday Sep 16-Tuesday Sep 19
Table 1 Ireland, 89 points; 2 Afghanistan, 81; 3 Netherlands, 52; 4 Papua New Guinea, 40; 5 Hong Kong, 39; 6 Scotland, 37; 7 UAE, 27; 8 Namibia, 27
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
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- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD)
What is THAAD?
It is considered to be the US' most superior missile defence system.
Production:
It was first created in 2008.
Speed:
THAAD missiles can travel at over Mach 8, so fast that it is hypersonic.
Abilities:
THAAD is designed to take out projectiles, namely ballistic missiles, as they are on their downward trajectory towards their target, otherwise known as the "terminal phase".
Purpose:
To protect high-value strategic sites, such as airfields or population centres.
Range:
THAAD can target projectiles both inside and outside of the Earth's atmosphere, at an altitude of 93 miles above the Earth's surface.
Creators:
Lockheed Martin was originally granted the contract to develop the system in 1992. Defence company Raytheon sub-contracts to develop other major parts of the system, such as ground-based radar.
UAE and THAAD:
In 2011, the UAE became the first country outside of the US to buy two THAAD missile defence systems. It then deployed them in 2016, becoming the first Gulf country to do so.
Hidden killer
Sepsis arises when the body tries to fight an infection but damages its own tissue and organs in the process.
The World Health Organisation estimates it affects about 30 million people each year and that about six million die.
Of those about three million are newborns and 1.2 are young children.
Patients with septic shock must often have limbs amputated if clots in their limbs prevent blood flow, causing the limbs to die.
Campaigners say the condition is often diagnosed far too late by medical professionals and that many patients wait too long to seek treatment, confusing the symptoms with flu.
GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
Company Profile
Company name: Yeepeey
Started: Soft launch in November, 2020
Founders: Sagar Chandiramani, Jatin Sharma and Monish Chandiramani
Based: Dubai
Industry: E-grocery
Initial investment: $150,000
Future plan: Raise $1.5m and enter Saudi Arabia next year
GOLF’S RAHMBO
- 5 wins in 22 months as pro
- Three wins in past 10 starts
- 45 pro starts worldwide: 5 wins, 17 top 5s
- Ranked 551th in world on debut, now No 4 (was No 2 earlier this year)
- 5th player in last 30 years to win 3 European Tour and 2 PGA Tour titles before age 24 (Woods, Garcia, McIlroy, Spieth)
