Pakistan court dismisses Khan’s bail pleas in May 9 unrest cases

A Pakistani court has rejected former prime minister Imran Khan’s bail petitions in eight cases linked to the violent protests that erupted across the country on May 9, 2023, following his arrest.

The Lahore High Court's two-member bench, headed by Justice Syed Shahbaz Ali Rizvi and including Justice Tariq Mehmood Bajwa, announced the verdict on Tuesday after reserving the decision earlier this week.

The May 9 unrest marked a major flashpoint in Pakistan’s political crisis. Khan, the founder of the opposition Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), was arrested on corruption charges, triggering nationwide protests. Demonstrators attacked military installations, set fire to government buildings, and engaged in violent clashes with security forces.

The Pakistani government termed the unrest a “coordinated attack on state institutions,” rejecting claims that it was a spontaneous political protest. In the months since, authorities have launched a sweeping crackdown on Khan’s party, detaining or implicating much of its senior leadership.

The hearing

Khan’s legal team argued that he was in the custody of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) in Islamabad on May 9, and that his inclusion in the riot cases amounted to political victimization.

However, the court rejected bail across all eight cases, which include attacks on the Lahore Corps Commander’s residence (Jinnah House), police personnel, a security squad of a senior Supreme Court judge, Askari Tower, and the Leader Club.

Monday’s hearing at the LHC saw both investigating officers and special prosecutors present, following earlier dismissals of Khan’s bail applications by the special Anti-Terrorism Court. The PTI founder then approached the LHC in appeal.