LHC rejects PTI founder's 8 bail petitions in May 9 cases

The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Tuesday rejected post-arrest bail petitions of incarcerated Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder, Imran Khan, in eight cases related to the May 9 riots, ARY News reported.

A division bench of the LHC, headed by Justice Syed Shahbaz Ali Rizvi, announced the verdict.

The bail petitions pertain to eight separate cases, including attacks on Jinnah House, Askari Tower case and Shadman Police Station arson attack.

Earlier, an anti-terrorism court had dismissed the PTI founder’s bail applications in all these cases, prompting the appeals in the high court.

During proceedings in LHC, a prosecutor had told the court that the PTI founder directed party leaders and workers to attack military installations.

He further said that the PTI founder had been inciting public sentiment against state institutions following his ouster from power. The prosecutor alleged that the PTI founder had declined to undergo polygraph and photogrammetric testing, and had repeatedly ignored trial court orders.

Imran Khan’s counsel, Barrister Salman Safdar, argued that his client was falsely implicated in these cases at a later stage, as he had already been in custody on May 9.

The prosecutor informed the court that the riots caused an estimated Rs 40 million in damage to police equipment, while the attack on Jinnah House alone led to losses exceeding Rs 520 million.

Earlier, an Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) Islamabad on Friday sentenced 11 accused, including Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) MNA Abdul Latif to a combined punishment of 15 years and 4 months imprisonment along with fines, in connection with Ramna police station attack during May 9 riots, ARY News reported.

The case stem from an incident on March 18, 2023, when a large number of PTI supporters accompanied Imran Khan to the Judicial Complex. Protesters ‘removed’ security barriers, forced entry into the premises, vandalized property, and disrupted judicial proceedings.