ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court (SC) on Thursday approved Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan’s bail pleas in eight May 9 cases.The verdict was announced by a three-member bench — led by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Justice Yahya Afridi and comprising Justice Hasan Azhar Rizvi and Justice Muhammad Shafi — which heard the PTI founder’s plea against the rejection of his bail by the Lahore High Court.
The LHC, back in June, had dismissed the incarcerated prime minister’s bail petitions in separate cases related to the May 9 riots, including the attack on Jinnah House in Lahore.
The PTI founder, who has been behind bars for over two years now, had moved the SC against the LHC verdict contending that the first information report (FIR) lacked sufficient evidence and termed the allegations of his involvement in the riots as baseless.Khan’s plea to the SC said that he was in NAB custody at the time, it was impossible for him to take part in those riots, besides raising doubts over the case on the basis of “contradictions” in the prosecution statements.
Furthermore, the appeal sought further investigation into the case, as he suspected mala fide intent on the part of the police for avoiding his arrest for five months and called the delayed police statements unreliable and asserted that he deserves the right to bail.