LAHORE: The Lahore High Court on Tuesday sought arguments on an application of incarcerated Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf founding chairman Imran Khan for early hearing of his post-arrest bail petitions in eight cases of May 9 riots including the Jinnah House attack.

A two-member bench comprising Justice Syed Shahbaz Ali Rizvi and Justice Tariq Saleem Sheikh took up the early hearing of the plea.

During the proceedings, Prosecutor General of Punjab Syed Farhad Ali Shah appeared before the bench in compliance with the orders.

The bench expressed concern over the absence of the relevant prosecutors of the cases.

Barrister Salman Safdar, the lawyer for Imran Khan, informed the bench that 21 bail petitions of the petitioner had been approved, while eight were rejected.

The prosecutor general told the bench that the government had filed petitions for the cancellation of the bail granted to the petitioner in the other cases.

The bench adjourned the heating till March 24 and directed both sides to come up with arguments.

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 NAB.

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 19th, 2025