LAHORE: Incarcerated PTI founding chairman Imran Khan has filed an application to the Lahore High Court for early hearing of his pending post-arrest bail petitions in eight cases of May 9 riots, including the one pertaining to Jinnah House attack.

The application filed through Barrister Salman Safdar states that Mr Khan’s bail petitions have not been fixed for hearing despite the issuance of notices by a two-judge bench on Jan 1.

The application pleads that the petitioner is aggrieved by a “malicious and politically-motivated” attempt of the complainant/police to frame him in frivolous cases.

It asks the court to hear the matter expeditiously as the petitioner has cogent and convincing grounds for grant of post-arrest bail.

A two-judge bench headed by Chief Justice Aalia Neelum had on Jan 1 issued notices to the police and the prosecution on the bail petitions of Imran Khan, summoning complete record of the cases.

An anti-terrorism court had on Nov 27, 2024, denied bail to the former prime minister in these eight cases.

The petitions mainly argue that the prosecution failed to establish the petitioner`s association with the unfortunate occurrences narrated in the FIRs.

They say the petitioner has been implicated in the May 9 cases as a result of a well-orchestrated plan, merely to harass and humiliate him for political reasons even though admittedly he was in the custody of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB).

The petitioner’s arrest was never required in the cases, which was evident from the fact that police remained reluctant to secure his arrest during the period of five months and 12 days after the dismissal of his pre-arrest bail by the trial court, it is stated.

The sole allegation against the petitioner in the cases is of ‘abetment’, which has been supplemented by the prosecution most vaguely, the pleas add.

They argue that the trial judge overlooked the fact that frivolous and baseless allegations related to the May 9 events have already been rejected due to inconsistencies in the story of the investigating agency.

The petitions ask the LHC to set aside the trial court`s decision and grant bail to the former prime minister in the eight FIRs.

Published in Dawn, March 12th, 2025