The Supreme Court of Pakistan has approved bail for former Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan in eight cases linked to the May 9 riots. The decision was given by a three-member bench headed by Chief Justice Yahya Afridi, with Justice Hasan Azhar Rizvi and Justice Shafi Siddiqui on the panel.
During the hearing, Barrister Salman Safdar represented Imran Khan, while Punjab’s Special Prosecutor Zulfiqar Naqvi appeared on behalf of the state. After hearing arguments from both sides, the bench announced its ruling in favor of Khan.
However, several other cases against Imran Khan remain under trial. He has been in prison since August 2023 in the Toshakhana reference and is also serving a sentence in Adiala Jail related to the £190 million corruption case. Additionally, trials connected to the May 9 riots are still ongoing.
Following the ruling, PTI welcomed the decision and launched the “Victory for Imran Khan” trend on the social media platform X.
At the beginning of the hearing, Punjab’s Prosecutor General informed the court that he could not appear the previous day due to illness. Chief Justice Afridi inquired about the evidence against Khan. Prosecutor Naqvi stated that the testimonies of three witnesses had been submitted, claiming that Imran Khan played a central role in the cases.
The Chief Justice noted that if the court examined the matter on merit, it could affect the trial proceedings. He further questioned what evidence, beyond oral and electronic records, existed against Khan. Justice Shafi Siddiqui asked about the date of the FIR, to which the prosecutor responded that it was filed on May 9 and that Khan had been named in three out of ten cases.
The prosecutor also informed the court that police had sought permission for voice matching, photogrammetric, and polygraphic tests, but Khan had refused to undergo them despite judicial approval. Chief Justice Afridi remarked that such a refusal would have legal consequences.
Eventually, the Supreme Court granted bail to Imran Khan in all eight cases related to May 9. It should be noted that earlier, both the Anti-Terrorism Court in Lahore and the Lahore High Court had rejected Khan’s bail pleas, which he subsequently challenged in the Supreme Court.
