Islamabad: Pakistan’s Supreme Court on Thursday approved bail for Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan in eight cases tied to the May 9 unrest, according to Geo News. The relief comes amid a raft of cases registered after the 2023 nationwide protests and attacks on government and military facilities.
A reconstituted three-judge bench led by Chief Justice Yahya Afridi, and comprising Justices Muhammad Shafi Siddiqui and Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb, heard the petitions, Dawn reported. Despite the court’s decision, Khan’s immediate release appears improbable as he remains incarcerated in connection with a case involving state gifts and is also serving a sentence in the £190 million matter, with several May 9-related trials still underway.
PTI hailed the ruling as a “Victory For Imran Khan” in a post on X, sharing a video message of Khan quoted as saying, “Keep one thing in mind: when the night becomes darkest, it means morning is about to come.”
Khan’s bail request in the same cluster of cases had earlier been rejected by the Lahore High Court on June 24, a decision he subsequently challenged before the Supreme Court, Dawn noted. The May 9 violence erupted following Khan’s arrest in Islamabad last year, sparking protests across major cities and attacks on public buildings and military sites, including the Corps Commander’s residence in Lahore.
Separately, Khan has put forward Pashtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PMAP) chief Mahmood Khan Achakzai as his choice for Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly, and Azam Khan Swati for the Senate, Dawn reported. PTI Secretary-General Salman Akram Raja said on Wednesday that Swati has been nominated for the Senate opposition leader’s post, adding that Khan has also sought five names to finalize his nominee for opposition leader in the Punjab Assembly.
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