The Islamabad High Court has released Imran Khan on bail for a period of two weeks.
After his arrest on Tuesday for corruption charges, Mr Khan was back in court.
Ses arrest has sparked violence across the country, resulting in at least 10 deaths as well as dozens of injuries.
The Supreme Court of Pakistan ruled that the arrest was illegal and ordered Mr Khan’s release, despite the fact that he spent the night in police custody for his protection.
The Islamabad High Court, a lower-level court, was then asked to reconsider the initial decision of the Islamabad High Court to confirm the arrest. The Supreme Court has said that it will respect the Friday ruling.
Mr Khan left court several hours after the verdict was announced.
The Independent quoted Mr Khan as saying, “They abducted me without any justification.”
“The first place they showed me a warrant of arrest was in the jail.” The military took me. It’s the law of jungle. Where was the police? Where is the law? The law of the jungle. “It seems that martial law has been declared here.”
Shahbaz Sharif, the Prime Minister, criticised Friday’s Supreme Court decision, saying that there was “a genuine corruption case” against Khan but “the judiciary had become a wall of stone protecting him.”
Mr Khan remained at the courthouse after the ruling as his lawyers asked judges for similar protection on a number other corruption charges. They were trying to block the legal avenues for the government in order to arrest him once again.
The National Accountability Bureau arrested the 70-year old popular opposition leader earlier this week in connection with charges of corruption.
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Imran Khan is released after a Pakistani court rules that arrest was illegal
Imran Khan, former prime minister of Pakistan, is arrested in Islamabad.
Pakistan’s Information Minister defends Imran Khan’s arrest
Marriyum aurangzeb, Pakistan’s Minister of Information, defended Marriyum’s arrest.
She said to Sky News that a person who defies court, does not follow the law, avoids courts, and thinks he is untouchable, and cannot be queried, must be treated as every other citizen.
She denied that the arrest was motivated by political reasons, as Mr Khan rides a wave of popularity following an attempted assassination.
She said, “We would not have waited for 14 months if we had wanted to arrest or silence him due to his popularity.”
