LAHORE: The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Monday deferred hearing on the bail petitions of incarcerated PTI founding chairman Imran Khan in eight cases of May 9 riots, including the attack on Corps Commander’s house.

A two-judge bench adjourned the hearing of the bail pleas in light of related proceedings currently pending before the Supreme Court.

During the hearing before a two-judge bench, the provincial government’s counsel stated that the bail previously granted to Mr Khan had been challenged in the Supreme Court where appeals were scheduled for hearing.

Barrister Salman Safdar, the petitioner’s counsel, argued that the matter before the high court pertained solely to the approval of post-arrest bail and that half of the arguments on the petitions had already been concluded before the division bench.

The bench, however, adjourned the hearing till April 17 to wait for the outcome of the Supreme Court’s proceedings.

Earlier, an anti-terrorism court had, on Nov 27, 2024, denied bail to Mr Khan in these eight cases.

The bail 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 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, April 15th, 2025