Lahore: In a significant development, former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s bail requests in eight terrorism-related cases, filed in connection with the events of May 9, have been rejected. The court has issued a ruling dismissing the bail applications.
The decision was delivered by Additional Sessions Judge Manzoor Ali Gul, following arguments from both the prosecution and Khan’s defense lawyer. The cases, which involve charges of terrorism and incitement, relate to the violent protests that erupted on May 9 after Khan’s arrest.
Khan’s legal team, led by Barrister Salman Safdar, had presented their arguments in the Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC), asserting that the former Prime Minister’s statements had been misinterpreted by the public, leading to an overreaction. Barrister Safdar argued that Khan had been involved in over 240 legal cases, yet had received relief in most of them, and that there were no specific charges that would justify his continued detention in these terrorism cases.
“The public’s response to Mr. Khan’s remarks was a misunderstanding,” Safdar told the court. “I have defended him in over 240 cases, and there is no charge that has not been invoked against him. Even the case related to the cipher issue reached the Supreme Court, and in all other cases, relief has been granted by the lower courts.”
The defense lawyer further argued that decisions in nearly 30 cases had already favored the opposition, adding that in each case, the police had been the complainants. He criticized the government for its shifting narrative, stating that it had failed to provide consistent evidence of a conspiracy.
