The Supreme Court on Friday approved bail for the founder of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) in cases linked to the May 9 riots.
The court’s ruling came during a hearing on multiple cases registered against him following the nationwide protests and attacks on government and military installations earlier this year.
During the hearing, PTI founder’s counsel Salman Safdar argued that no indictment had been filed in any of the eight cases and that challans had not yet been submitted. Chief Justice Yahya Afridi remarked, “That is enough. We are granting bail.”
The court directed police that if the PTI founder was not wanted in any other case, he should be released.
Prosecutors contended that the PTI founder was the central figure in all the cases, with both oral and electronic evidence as well as witness statements available against him.
However, the chief justice clarified that the evaluation of evidence would be done at the trial stage, and the Supreme Court would not make observations on merits so that the trial is not prejudiced.
The bench also called both sides’ lawyers into chambers before issuing its written order, ensuring the trial process remains unaffected.
The Supreme Court has reconstituted the bench hearing Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan’s bail applications in connection with eight cases linked to the May 9 riots.
Justice Hassan Azhar Rizvi has joined the three-member bench in place of Justice Mian Gul Hassan Aurangzeb. The newly formed bench will now be headed by Chief Justice Yahya Afridi, alongside Justice Muhammad Shafi Siddiqui.
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The reconstituted bench is expected to resume hearings on the former prime minister’s bail applications soon.
What happened in last hearing
On August 12, an earlier bench comprising Chief Justice Afridi, Justice Siddiqui, and Justice Aurangzeb had heard Imran Khan’s bail pleas.
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Barrister Salman Safdar represented Khan.
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Punjab Special Prosecutor Zulfiqar Naqvi appeared for the state.
During proceedings, the Chief Justice questioned the Lahore High Court’s detailed judgment, which had rejected Khan’s bail. He observed that issuing final findings at the bail stage could influence the trial unfairly.
“If we touch upon legal findings at this stage, the case of either party may be affected,” CJP Afridi remarked.
He instructed both sides’ lawyers to assist the court on key legal questions and come fully prepared for the next hearing.
Islamabad Court rejects prosecution pleas
An Islamabad court on Thursday dismissed prosecution requests seeking physical remand of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) workers in cases registered at Margalla and I-9 police stations.
Duty Additional District and Sessions Judge Shabbir Bhatti announced the reserved verdict, upholding the judicial magistrate’s earlier decision to send the accused to judicial custody.
During proceedings, the defense argued that both FIRs had been filed by irrelevant individuals. A total of 63 PTI workers are facing charges in the Margalla and Industrial Area police station cases.
