Pakistan’s Supreme Court delivered a major legal victory to former Prime Minister Imran Khan on Thursday, granting him bail in eight cases linked to the violent May 9, 2023, riots that erupted after his arrest in Islamabad. The decision, handed down by a three-member bench led by Chief Justice Yahya Afridi, alongside Justices Shafi Siddiqui and Miangul Aurangzeb, came after intense arguments from Khan’s lawyer, Salman Safdar, and Punjab Special Prosecutor Zulfiqar Naqvi.
The riots, sparked by Khan’s detention, saw his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) supporters vandalize government and military properties, including the Lahore corps commander’s residence, leading to multiple charges against the 72-year-old leader and his party. PTI celebrated the ruling with the hashtag “Victory For Imran Khan” on X, while international spokesman Zulfiqar Bukhari noted that Khan now needs bail in only one remaining case—the Al-Qadir Trust case—to secure his release. However, due to his ongoing conviction in the £190 million Al-Qadir graft case, Khan will remain in Rawalpindi’s high-security Adiala Jail for now.
Khan’s legal battle intensified after his initial bail plea was rejected by a Lahore anti-terrorism court in November 2024, followed by a dismissal from the Lahore High Court (LHC) on June 24, 2025. Undeterred, he escalated the matter to the Supreme Court, which overturned the lower court’s decisions. Since his ouster from power in April 2022, Khan has faced a barrage of legal challenges, with his imprisonment since August 2023 marking a turbulent chapter in his political career.
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The ruling has reignited debates about the political motivations behind Khan’s prosecutions, with PTI framing the May 9 cases as a “false flag” operation. As the legal saga unfolds, attention turns to the Al-Qadir case, where the outcome could determine whether the former cricket star and populist leader walks free or remains a symbol of resistance from behind bars. Security around Adiala Jail has been heightened amid growing anticipation among Khan’s supporters.
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