ATC reserves decision on Imran Khan's bail applications in May 9 cases
Pakistan
Barrister Safdar argued that the reaction from the public to Imran Khan’s remarks was misguided
LAHORE (Dunya News) - A decision has been reserved on the bail applications of PTI founder Imran Khan in eight cases related to the events of May 9.
The hearing on the bail applications took place in the Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC), where Imran Khan’s lawyer, Barrister Salman Safdar, appeared before Judge Manzar Ali Gill.
During the hearing, Barrister Safdar argued that the reaction from the public to Imran Khan’s remarks was misguided.
He added that he had represented Imran Khan in over 240 cases, and there were no charges under which cases had not been registered against him.
The lawyer highlighted that in many cases, relief had been granted by lower courts, while the case involving the cipher reached the Supreme Court.
Barrister Safdar further stated that in over 30 cases, the government had lost, and he presented decisions from nearly 25 such cases.
He pointed out that in each of these cases, the complainants were police officers, and accused the government of shifting its narrative regarding the conspiracy.
The lawyer clarified that he was not asking for the discharge or dismissal of the cases but was seeking bail for Imran Khan, who had been in custody for an extended period.
He referred to the medical reports of former president Pervez Musharraf, mentioning that they were proven true after his death. He noted that judges had relied on the fact that Imran Khan had been in NAB custody from May 9 to 12.
On the other hand, Special Prosecutor Rao Abdul Jabbar argued that all the cases against Imran Khan related to rebellion against the state and attacks on sensitive installations.
He stated that the decisions presented by the defense were not related to these cases. The prosecutor emphasised that the attacks on military installations were part of a larger war that is still ongoing. He mentioned that soldiers and police officers had been martyred in these incidents.
The prosecutor also questioned why attacks were carried out on military sites and not civilian areas, as the locations of the attacks were known to be sensitive.
He added that Imran Khan was not in jail when the conspiracy was planned on May 7 and argued for the rejection of his bail request.
After hearing arguments from both the prosecution and the defense, the court reserved its decision on the bail applications.
