ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court today, on Tuesday, adjourned the hearing of an appeal filed by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan against the Lahore High Court’s (LHC) decision to deny him bail in multiple cases linked to the May 9 riots.
A two-member bench, headed by Chief Justice Yahya Afridi, took up the case but postponed the proceedings until August 12 following a request from Khan’s counsel, Salman Akram Raja.
Imran Khan had approached the apex court last week, challenging the LHC’s June 24 verdict, which rejected his bail petitions in eight separate cases related to the May 9 violence, including the high-profile Jinnah House attack in Lahore.
In his petition, Khan claimed the FIRs lacked credible evidence, labelling the allegations against him as baseless. He contended that he was in NAB custody at the time of the riots, making his involvement impossible. He also cited contradictions in prosecution statements, casting doubt on the credibility of the case.
The PTI founder also demanded a further investigation, alleging mala fide intentions by police for deliberately delaying his arrest for five months.
Khan argued that the evidence presented is insufficient, noting that co-accused individuals have already been granted bail. He also criticized the delayed police statements and asserted his entitlement to bail.
Earlier, the LHC’s two-member bench, led by Justice Shahbaz Ali Rizvi, delivered the verdict after hearing arguments from both the prosecution and defense. Before that, on November 27, 2024, the Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) had dismissed Khan’s bail applications in the same cases.
