Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader and former Prime Minister Imran Khan has appealed to the Supreme Court following the Lahore High Court’s rejection of his bail pleas in cases related to the May 9 unrest.
Khan’s appeal contests the High Court’s decision to deny him post-arrest bail in multiple cases stemming from the May 9 incidents. The former Prime Minister has named the federal administration and a Lahore police officer as respondents in his petition. He seeks the Supreme Court to overturn the Lahore High Court’s ruling and grant him bail.
The High Court dismissed Khan’s bail requests in eight separate cases connected to the May 9 violence. These accusations encompass attacks on the Corps Commander’s house, Askari Tower, and PML-N offices, along with assaults on a police station, destruction of police vehicles, and violent demonstrations at Sherpao Bridge.
Justices Syed Shahbaz Ali Rizvi and Tariq Mehmood Bajwa of the Lahore High Court cited statements from two undercover police officers who reportedly attended PTI gatherings. These witnesses allege that Khan directed party officials to target military facilities if he was apprehended at the Islamabad High Court.
The judges asserted the witnesses’ accounts could not be discounted due to timing and indicated Khan’s involvement in a criminal plot. The court noted the charges fall under sections relating to criminal conspiracy and conspiring against the state.
The bench dismissed the defense’s argument that Khan’s imprisonment on May 9 absolved him, citing evidence suggesting his participation in planning the unrest during meetings held in early May. The Supreme Court is anticipated to address the appeal soon.