A new three-judge panel at Pakistan’s Supreme Court will address the post-arrest bail pleas of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan related to the May 9 incidents.
The newly constituted bench, led by Chief Justice Yahya Afridi and including Justice Shafi Siddiqui and Justice Mian Gul Hasan Aurangzeb, is slated to convene on August 12. This follows a postponement from an earlier scheduled hearing before a two-judge panel, also headed by Chief Justice Afridi, due to the overseas travel of Khan”s primary lawyer, Salman Safdar.
Another lawyer representing Khan, Salman Akram Raja, appeared before the court to explain Safdar”s absence and requested a hearing the following week, along with the immediate issuance of notices to involved parties. The court declined the request for immediate notices but agreed to reschedule the proceedings.
The eight post-arrest bail applications relate to the May 9, 2023 events, involving alleged acts of terrorism and arson. These appeals challenge previous rulings by the Lahore High Court, which denied Khan”s bail requests and sided with the prosecution”s arguments. Filed through Khan’s counsel, Salman Safdar, the petitions contest the Lahore High Court’s decisions upholding the denial of bail.