A Lahore anti-terrorism court (ATC) on Tuesday announced its reserved verdict on pre-arrest bail petitions of PTI founder Imran Khan in three cases related to the May 9 riots and dismissed them.

May 9 holds significant importance in the country’s political landscape, as it was on this day last year when military installations were attacked following Imran’s arrest from the Islamabad High Court’s (IHC) premises, which formed the basis of a severe state crackdown against him and his party.

Arising from the scenario were three cases, among many against Imran, concerning attacks on the Jinnah House, also the residence of the Lahore corps commander, Askari Tower and Shadman police station. The ATC had reserved its verdict on bail petitions about the cases on Saturday.

Imran is currently serving out his sentence in the Iddat case at Adiala Jail. His sentences in the two Toshakhana cases were suspended while he was acquitted by the Islamabad High Court in the cipher case.

However, an Islamabad district and sessions court had turned down the pleas of the PTI founder and his wife to suspend their seven-year sentences in the Iddat case.

Earlier on March 1, an ATC had confirmed Imran’s pre-arrest bail in four cases, including party worker Zille Shah’s murder, attack on police outside Zaman Park and setting fire to PML-N offices in Model Town and a container at Kalma Chowk on May 9, 2023.

The trial court had previously in August, 2023, dismissed the pre-arrest bail pleas of the PTI founding chairman in seven criminal cases over his non-appearance, after he was jailed in the Toshakhana case.

Later, the Lahore High Court had set aside the ATC decision and restored Imran’s bail petitions with a direction to the trial court to decide all the petitions afresh on merit.

The PML-N government has already spoken its mind about keeping Imran in jail for its five-year term till 2029 for “economic stability”.

“People come to us and tell us if Pakistan has to progress then Imran Khan will have to be kept in jail for five years,” Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal said while talking to reporters last month.

He had said that if Imran came out of jail then there would be again sit-ins and fight and the country could not afford this.

“There is a voice of the people [that] Imran Khan should remain in jail for five years,” he had said

Opinion

Editorial

Electricity relief
Updated 05 Apr, 2025

Electricity relief

If govt ensures that requisite power reforms are implemented, it will earn much praise for reforming a vital segment of the economy.
Trump’s trade wars
Updated 05 Apr, 2025

Trump’s trade wars

Shoddy math applied by US to indiscriminately penalise its trading partners signals the end of an era of global trade liberalisation.
Legalised land grab
Updated 05 Apr, 2025

Legalised land grab

The Modi government from its inception has been attacking India’s minorities, the largest such community in its crosshairs being the Muslims.
More than words
Updated 04 Apr, 2025

More than words

Holistic development can only work when there is organic and credible political activity in the province.
Poor publicity
04 Apr, 2025

Poor publicity

FORTUNE does not seem to be favouring the PTI — at least not yet. With the party’s founder confined from public...
Party pooper
04 Apr, 2025

Party pooper

INDIA’s role of a spoilsport is tiresome. From pulling books from shelves, such as Wendy Doniger’s The Hindus: ...