The Supreme Court of Pakistan has approved the bail petitions of former Prime Minister Imran Khan in 8 cases related to the riots of May 9, 2023. This decision can prove to be a turning point in the politics of Pakistan.
A three-member bench headed by Chief Justice Yahya Afridi concluded the hearing on Thursday. Justice Muhammad Shafi Siddiqui and Mian Gul Hasan Aurangzeb were also part of this bench. Imran Khan was represented by Salman Safdar in the hearing, while Special Prosecutor Zulfiqar Naqvi appeared on behalf of the Punjab government.
During the hearing, Chief Justice Afridi raised questions on the legal aspects and clarified that the court will consider only legal questions and not the merits of the case. He also questioned the observations of the Lahore High Court, saying that the Supreme Court will refrain from commenting on legal findings so as not to affect the interest of any party.
Earlier, in November 2024, an anti-terrorism court in Lahore had rejected Imran Khan’s bail plea in the same cases. The Lahore High Court also rejected his plea on June 24, after which the former prime minister approached the Supreme Court.
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has promoted this decision as a ‘victory for Imran Khan’ on social media. However, Imran Khan is still in prison till August 2023 in a corruption case related to government gifts, in which he is accused of irregularities worth 190 million pounds.
This decision could have significant implications in the current political situation in Pakistan, especially for the PTI and its supporters.
