Court rejects Imran’s bail plea in Jinnah House attack case

LAHORE: Lahore’s Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) has issued a seven-page written ruling rejecting bail for Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan in the Jinnah House attack case.

Judge Manzar Ali Gul emphasised that as a leader, Khan’s statements significantly influence party members and supporters, with other party leaders unlikely to oppose his directives.

The court concluded that the former prime minister was culpable in the case.

The written judgment noted that, on the day of the incident, numerous arson and vandalism cases targeted military installations, government institutions, and police officials, sparing private property.

According to the prosecution, the conspiracy behind the attack was orchestrated at Khan’s Zaman Park residence.

The prosecution highlighted that valuable items at Jinnah House were destroyed in the fire, with law enforcement recovering petrol bombs and batons from 50 arrested suspects.

However, many other individuals involved managed to escape. The court found no grounds to justify granting bail to the former prime minister, rejecting his applications. Previously, on November 27, the ATC had dismissed Khan’s bail pleas in this and seven other cases. A large number of workers and supporters of PTI staged almost countrywide demonstrations on May 9, 2023 — when the PTI founding chairman was arrested by paramilitary troops on the directions of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) in connection with an alleged corruption case.

The demonstrators destroyed public and private properties, attacked military installations — the General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi and the Lahore Corps Commander’s House (Jinnah House) — and ransacked relics of martyrs.

Following the incidents, the civil and military leadership resolved to give exemplary punishment under the relevant laws including Army Act to all those involved in hooliganism, arson, ransacking of public and private properties, attacking sensitive military installations and desecration of martyrs’ monuments on May 9.