Former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan has been granted bail in 12 cases related to the May 9 attacks on military installations, carried out by his supporters following his arrest in an alleged corruption case. The decision was made by an anti-terrorism court on Saturday, with Judge Malik Ejaz Asif overseeing the proceedings.
Imran Khan, the founder of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, secured bail after posting a surety bond of ₹0.1 million in each of the 12 cases, including attacks on the General Headquarters (GHQ) of the Pakistan Army and the Army Museum. The court deemed it unjustified to keep the 71-year-old former premier under arrest, especially since all other accused individuals in the May 9 cases were already on bail. However, Imran Khan will remain incarcerated due to convictions in numerous other cases.
This legal development comes on the heels of independents backed by Imran Khan’s party winning nearly 100 seats in the National Assembly. Additionally, former Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, also a member of PTI, was granted bail in 13 cases related to the same incident. However, like Imran Khan, Qureshi will remain in prison due to pending charges in other cases.
Imran Khan and Qureshi were indicted in these cases on February 6, stemming from the violence that erupted following Imran Khan’s arrest in an alleged corruption case. The charges against Imran Khan include attacks on the GHQ gate, rioting in a sensitive institution’s office, and other related offenses.
Imran Khan vehemently denied the allegations outlined in the first information reports filed against him. Meanwhile, former federal minister Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed, a one-time ally of Imran Khan who distanced himself from the party later on, was also granted bail in a case connected to the May 9 attacks.
Imran Khan’s legal battles have intensified since his government was ousted through a no-confidence vote in April 2022. To date, he has been convicted in four cases, with dozens more pending against him. The political and legal landscape in Pakistan continues to be turbulent as the country grapples with these developments amid shifting alliances and power struggles.
Sources By Agencies
