ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Tuesday granted protective bail to PPP leader and former prime minister Yousuf Raza Gilani for seven days in nine cases registered against him in the Trade Development Authority (TDAP) scandal.

A single bench comprising Justice Noorul Haq Qureshi granted protective bail to Gilani for seven days in nine cases and directed him to furnish surety bonds of Rs100,000 in each cases.

Earlier, the former prime minister appeared at IHC, accompanied by lawyers and supporters, to seek pre-arrest bail in eight cases. Upon finding out that another case has been registered against him, Gilani sought protective bail in nine cases.

Gilani's counsel Malik Javed Iqbal Wayne submitted petitions in the IHC to grant the PPP stalwart ‘protective bail’ in the cases pending against him, a move which will prevent FIA from arresting him till he appears in the anti-corruption court in Karachi.

The court accepted his petitions for hearing and the single member bench of IHC granted protective bail for seven days to Gilani.

Speaking to media after the acceptance of his bail plea, Gilani said that the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) can not take any action without consent of the government, implying government's role in the action taken against him.

An anti-corruption court on August 28 had issued non-bailable warrants for the arrest of Yousuf Raza Gilani and his fellow PPP leader Makhdoom Amin Fahim.

The order against the former prime minister and the senior PPP leader was issued after FIA presented a challan (charge sheet) with cases — relating to multi-billion rupee scandal in the Trade Development Authority (TDAP) — registered against the two before the court.

Gilani had announced that he will appear before the anti-corruption court on August 31 and the government need not arrest him but he failed to appear before the court citing the murder of a former secretary general of the Karachi District Bar Association.

Talking to Dawn, Mr Gilani said he had consulted his counsel, Farooq H Naek, over the issue who suggested that he (Gilani) should not appear before the court as the lawyers had announced boycotting the courts’ proceedings in protest against the killing.

Cases against the two PPP leaders, some former and serving senior officials of the TDAP and others were registered by FIA for their alleged involvement in approving and disbursing fraudulent trade subsidies of billions of rupees to several fake companies through fictitious claims and backdated cheques.