By Zahid Shah 

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court on Sunday granted pre-arrest bail to former Prime Minister Imran Khan after a lower court issued his arrest warrant on Friday.

The arrest warrant triggered massive protests across the country after Khan’s close-aids asked people to reach Khan’s residence in Islamabad as the police trying to arrest him.

Thousand of Khan’s supporters reached his residence last night to protect him from any attempt of the police to arrest him. 

On Sunday morning, Khan’s lawyer reached the Islamabad High Court and the court granted him pre-arrest bail till Friday.

On Sept. 30, a local judge Rana Mujahid Rahim issued Khan’s arrest warrant in controversial remarks against Additional District and Sessions Judge (ADSJ) Zeba Chaudhry and other officials at an August 20 public rally, according to Dawn. 

“Imran Khan is our redline and anyone will cross this line will face consequences,” Ali Amin Gandapur, former federal minister of Khan’s cabinet said. 

He asked the local police to not interfere in the ongoing fight between the government and the opposition. 

According to local media, the government has decided to take action against Khan in an alleged cypher received from Washington in March this year, which Khan called as a regime change conspiracy of the US.

Recently Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said that copy of the cypher is missing from the premier office.

The premier claims came after remaining in office for six months which analysts believed was a political accusation against Khan.   

Maryam Nawaz, a key leader of the ruling party was earlier said that there is no cypher and khan claim is baseless, however, now Maryam also says that cypher is missing from the premier office. Changing of her stance also put her in trouble.