Pakistan’s Supreme Court delivered a significant ruling on Friday, granting bail to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan in connection with eight cases stemming from the May 9 riots that shook the nation earlier this year.
Court’s Decision
The three-member bench, led by Chief Justice Yahya Afridi, made the decision after hearing arguments from both sides regarding the cases linked to nationwide protests and attacks on government and military facilities. The court’s directive was clear: if Khan is not required in any other ongoing cases, he should be released from custody.
Defense attorney Salman Safdar presented a compelling argument, highlighting that formal indictments had not been filed in any of the eight cases and that investigation reports (challans) remained unsubmitted. Chief Justice Afridi responded decisively, stating, “That is enough. We are granting bail.”
Prosecution’s Position
State prosecutors maintained their stance that Khan played a central role in all the cases, citing available oral and electronic evidence along with witness testimonies. However, Chief Justice Afridi emphasized that evidence evaluation belongs to the trial phase, not the bail hearing, to ensure the judicial process remains unbiased.
Bench Reconstitution
The Supreme Court recently restructured the bench handling Khan’s bail applications. Justice Hassan Azhar Rizvi replaced Justice Mian Gul Hassan Aurangzeb, joining Chief Justice Afridi and Justice Muhammad Shafi Siddiqui in the three-member panel.
Previous Proceedings
During an August 12 hearing, the earlier bench had examined the Lahore High Court’s detailed judgment that initially denied Khan’s bail request. Chief Justice Afridi expressed concern that making conclusive legal findings at the bail stage could prejudice the upcoming trial proceedings.
“If we touch upon legal findings at this stage, the case of either party may be affected,” the Chief Justice observed during that session, instructing both legal teams to prepare thoroughly for subsequent hearings.
Related Court Developments
In a separate but related development, an Islamabad court on Thursday rejected prosecution requests for physical custody of PTI workers involved in cases registered at Margalla and I-9 police stations. Additional District and Sessions Judge Shabbir Bhatti upheld the judicial magistrate’s decision to place the accused in judicial custody rather than granting physical remand.
The defense in that case argued that both First Information Reports (FIRs) had been filed by individuals lacking proper standing. A total of 63 PTI workers face charges in these cases registered at Margalla and Industrial Area police stations.
Looking Forward
With bail granted in the May 9 cases, attention now turns to the trial proceedings, where the actual evidence will be evaluated and legal arguments will be heard on their merits. The Supreme Court’s careful approach ensures that the bail decision will not influence the eventual trial outcomes.
The reconstituted bench is expected to continue monitoring the legal proceedings as they progress through the judicial system.
