Islamabad: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Friday granted lawyer Imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazir pre-arrest bail till June 9 in a case concerning derogatory remarks against a state institution.

IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah heard the pre-arrest bail application filed by Advocate Zainab Janjua.

A first information report (FIR) was registered against Mazari-Hazir on May 26 at the capital's Ramna police station on the complaint of Lt Colonel Syed Humayun Iftikhtar, who was representing the Judge Advocate General (JAG) branch of the General Headquarters (GHQ).

The JAG branch of the Pakistan Armed Forces is composed of the military's senior officers, lawyers and judges who provide legal services to the army, air force, navy, and marines at all levels of command. It falls under the law directorate of the army.

Islamabad: Law Minister Azam Nazir Tarar has dispelled the impression that the government is going to deprive overseas Pakistanis of the right to vote.

Talking to the media, along with PPP leader Faisal Karim Kundi and Senator Kamran Murtaza in Islamabad on Friday, he said overseas Pakistanis are a precious asset of the country and we cannot deprive them of their right to vote.

He said recent legislation is only aimed at enabling the Election Commission of Pakistan to devise a strategy to ensure the right to vote for overseas Pakistanis in a transparent manner.

Peshawar: Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan refused rumors of any deal with the establishment for calling off a sit-in in Islamabad, saying that he had not struck a deal with anyone and had thought about the country only.

Addressing a press conference along with Chief Minister KP Mahmood Khan, Imran Khan said that he wrapped up his plans to stage a sit-in to avoid a bloodbath. “Had I sat there that day, there would have been a bloodbath,” he said.

Imran Khan said that it was not difficult for him to stage a sit-in till the toppling of the government. "We will come to Islamabad with full preparation if elections were not announced in six days," he added.

He also admitted that his arrival in Islamabad was delayed by barricades and that the PTI was not prepared to deal with the police. Especially, after the Supreme Court of Pakistan issued an order, allowing PTI to hold a rally in Islamabad, it was expecting barricades to be removed, he said.

He announced to challenge the Election (Amendment) Bill in court. "It is a violation of the basic right to deprive the overseas Pakistanis of a basic right," he maintained.

The PTI chairman said that it cannot happen in the world that a man released on bail can become the prime minister.