Islamabad (Web Desk): The Supreme Court (SC), on Tuesday, moved forward with proceedings on a plea filed by former Prime Minister and PTI founder Imran Khan, who is contesting the Lahore High Court’s (LHC) decision to deny him post-arrest bail in eight separate cases tied to the violent events of May 9, 2023.
A three-judge bench led by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Yahya Afridi and including Justice Shafi Siddiqui and Justice Mian Gul Hassan Aurangzeb took up the matter, issuing a formal notice to the prosecution.
During the hearing, the CJP made it clear that the top court would refrain from delivering any judgment that might influence the pending trial or preempt the legal merits of the case.
He directed both the defence and the prosecution to assist the court on a crucial point of law — whether or not a court granting or denying bail can include definitive conclusions that may affect the outcome of the trial itself.
The CJP observed that the LHC appeared to have rendered a conclusive view in its earlier ruling, which prompted the need to re-examine the legality of such an approach.
Previously, the LHC, through a division bench headed by Justice Shahbaz Ali Rizvi, had dismissed Khan’s bail requests in eight cases linked to the May 9 unrest.
This sparked sharp criticism from PTI, which accused the court of a gross miscarriage of justice.
Khan’s legal team had contended that he was wrongly implicated in the violence while he was already in custody, and insisted there was no substantial evidence tying him to the acts of vandalism.
During the proceedings, the Punjab government’s counsel, Zulfiqar Naqvi, pointed out that the government had not been officially notified regarding the petition. In response, the Chief Justice assured that a notice was being issued that day.
When PTI’s lawyer Salman Safdar requested that the hearing be brought forward, the bench declined, affirming that the case would be heard on its previously scheduled date of August 19.
The cases stem from widespread protests and unrest that erupted on May 9, 2023, after former premier Imran Khan was taken into custody from the Islamabad High Court, where he had appeared in a corruption case.
The demonstrations escalated quickly, resulting in attacks on military and civilian facilities across Pakistan.