May 9 case: SC adjourns Imran Khan’s bail plea

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court on Tuesday adjourned until August 12, hearing into appeal of former prime minister Imran Khan, seeking post-arrest bail in a case related to the May 9 incident.

A two-member bench of the apex court comprising Chief Justice Yahya Afridi and Justice Muhammad Shafi Siddiqui heard Imran Khan’s appeal against the Lahore High Court order that dismissed his appeal in May 9 case. The court adjourned the hearing until August 12 after advocate Salman Akram Raja appeared before the court and informed that Imran’s counsel Barrister Salman Safdar was on general adjournment and sought adjournment of the case. The court then adjourned the case for August 12. Imran had filed a petition in the apex court under Article 185(3) of the Constitution for granting leave to appeal against the LHC order dated June 24, 2025 in criminal miscellaneous application dismissing his post arrest bail in May 9 incidents. The former prime minister, presently incarcerated in Adiala jail had prayed the apex court to grant him post arrest bail in FIR No. 103/2023 dated 12.05.2023 registered under sections 324, 395, 436, 427, 290, 291, 148, 149, 337L(ii), 34, 109, 120-B, 121, 121A, 131, 146, 153, 153-A, 153-B and 505 of PPC, 1860, read with Section 7 of ATA, 1997, at Police Station Sarwar Road, Lahore. While rejecting the petition, the learned Lahore High Court observed that the offences alleged against the petitioner fall within the prohibitory clause of section 497 Cr.P.C while learned counsel for the petitioner remained unable to hint at availability of circumstances sufficient to make this case one of further inquiry into petitioner’s guilt. The court had held that the case of the petitioner is distinguished from that of all co-accused granted bail including Ejaz Ahmad Chauhdary. The PTI founder in his appeal had submitted that the respondent complainant, Mujahid Hussain Inspector, Police Station, Badami Bagh, Lahore, had lodged FIRs No. 103/2023 dated 12.05.2023 at Police Station Sarwar Road, Lahore, under Sections 324, 395, 436, 427, 290, 291, 148, 149, 337L(ii), 34, 109, 120-B, 121, 121A, 131, 146, 153, 153-A, 153-B and 505 of the Pakistan Penal Code, 1860, read with Section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997. Imran Khan had further submitted that the FIR was registered against approximately 1,400-1,500 unknown individuals however, he was not named in the FIR of the instant case.

He also contended that the alleged incident forming the basis of the present FIR is said to have occurred during his unlawful custody with the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) after being unlawfully arrested from the premises of the Islamabad High Court on 09.05.2023 when he approached the court to secure bail in NAB’s Al-Qadir Trust Reference.