ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Supreme Court will resume on Tuesday the hearing of appeals filed by jailed former prime minister Imran Khan challenging the denial of bail in multiple cases linked to the May 9 violence, according to a media report.
Khan, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief, had approached the top court after the Lahore High Court (LHC) rejected his post-arrest bail in eight cases. The cases stem from the unrest that erupted on May 9, 2023, following his arrest from the Islamabad High Court premises. The LHC had denied bail, citing his alleged role in orchestrating attacks on military installations ahead of his arrest.
The Supreme Court had previously adjourned the matter on July 29 at the request of the defence, as lead counsel Salman Safdar was abroad. The case will now be heard by a three-member bench headed by Chief Justice Yahya Afridi, with Justices Muhammad Shafi Siddiqui and Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb on the panel.
Khan, 72, faces several cases in Lahore tied to the May 9 incidents, including charges of inciting supporters to attack government and military facilities. His pleas argue that he was in the custody of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) at the time, making his involvement in the violence “impossible.”
Ousted from office in April 2022, Khan has been held at the high-security Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi since August 2023, following his conviction in a corruption case. He continues to face a series of legal challenges, most initiated after his removal from power.
