Imran Khan: Former Pakistan prime minister to be released on bail

Former Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan is to be released on bail for two weeks following a decision from the High Court.

The former prime minister, who served from 2018 to 2022, was back in court following his arrest on Tuesday on corruption charges, which sparked countrywide violence that left at least 10 people dead and dozens injured.

The country's Supreme Court ruled on Thursday the arrest was unlawful and ordered his release from custody, although Mr Khan spent the night as a police guest for his own protection.

It then asked the Islamabad High Court - a lower court - to reconsider its initial decision to uphold the arrest.

The Supreme Court said it would respect Friday's ruling.

The popular 70-year-old opposition leader, who is a former captain of the Pakistan international cricket team, was arrested earlier this week by the National Accountability Bureau in connection with corruption charges.

Pakistan's information minister, Marriyum Aurangzeb, defended the former prime minister's arrest.

She told Sky News: "A person who has defied court, who does not abide by the law, who avoid courts and who thinks he's untouchable and cannot be questioned, has to be treated the way every citizen is treated."

She rejected claims that there were political motives behind the arrest, as Mr Khan surfs a wave of popularity following an assassination attempt.

"If we wanted to arrest him or silence him because of his popularity, we would not have waited 14 months," she said.