The Supreme Court issued a notice on Tuesday to the prosecution in a petition filed by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan, challenging the Lahore High Court’s (LHC) rejection of his post-arrest bail in eight cases linked to May 9 incidents.
A three-member bench of the Supreme Court, headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Yahya Afridi and comprising Justice Shafi Siddiqui and Justice Mian Gul Hassan Aurangzeb heard the case.
The bench headed by CJP Afridi observed that the court would not give any final finding that could affect the merits of the pending case.
CJP Afridi asked the both the defence and prosecution counsels to assist the court on the legal question of whether final observations can be made in a bail order.
He noted that the LHC had given a final opinion in its bail decision, raising the question of whether such findings were permissible.
Read: PTI heavyweights jailed for ‘attacks on state institutions’
Earlier, LHC rejected bail petitions filed by PTI founder in eight cases linked to the May 9, 2023, riots, prompting sharp criticism from the party, which called the ruling a “blatant miscarriage of justice”.
The decision, delivered by a two-member bench led by Justice Shahbaz Ali Rizvi, followed the conclusion of arguments from both prosecution and defence.
Imran’s legal team had argued that the former prime minister was implicated without credible evidence while he was already in custody and denied any involvement in the violence.
Before the apex court on Tuesday, Punjab government counsel Zulfiqar Naqvi told the court that no notice had been issued to them in the matter, to which the CJP said the notice would be issued today.
Denying PTI counsel Salman Safdar’s request to prepone the hearing, the court slated the hearing for August 19 as per schedule.
Protests on May 9, 2023, broke out across the country after Imran’s arrest from the premises of Islamabad High Court (IHC), where he appeared for a hearing in connection with a graft case. Several civil and military installations were damaged during the protests and ensuing chaos.
Imran, who has been jailed since August 2023 after multiple convictions, remains a central figure in Pakistani politics despite his ouster in April 2022 through a no-confidence vote. Several PTI leaders and workers remain incarcerated over the May 9 incidents, while others have been granted bail.
