Islamabad, Aug 21 — Pakistan’s Supreme Court on Thursday granted bail to incarcerated former Prime Minister Imran Khan in eight cases related to the May 9, 2023 violence.
The Chenab Times has learnt that a three-member Bench of the apex court, led by Chief Justice Afridi and comprising Justices Shafi Siddiqui and Miangul Aurangzeb, announced the decision after hearing arguments from Khan’s lawyer Salman Safdar and Punjab Special Prosecutor Zulfiqar Naqvi.
Supporters of Khan had resorted to vandalism and violence after his arrest in Islamabad last year, triggering multiple cases against him and other PTI leaders.
Khan’s party hailed the development. Using the hashtag #VictoryForImranKhan, PTI’s international spokesman Zulfiqar Bukhari said, “Supreme Court has granted bail to Imran Khan for May 9th cases, now bail is needed for just one more case (Al-Qadir case) for Mr. Khan to come out of jail.”
According to Press Trust of India, Bukhari further stated that Khan would not be released despite the relief, owing to his conviction in the £190 million Al-Qadir Trust case.
The Chenab Times understands that the 72-year-old former premier had earlier sought bail from a Lahore anti-terrorism court and later from the Lahore High Court, but both pleas were rejected. He finally challenged the dismissal before the Supreme Court, which has now granted him relief.
Imran Khan, who was ousted from office in April 2022, has been imprisoned since August 2023 at Rawalpindi’s high-security Adiala Jail and continues to face several other cases filed against him.
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