Pakistan moves Imran Khan’s May 9 trial out of prison court

Pakistan’s government on Wednesday shifted the trial of former prime minister Imran Khan over the May 9, 2023, attack on the military’s General Headquarters from Adiala Jail to an anti-terrorism court in Rawalpindi.

The decision, confirmed in an official notification, marks a significant shift in one of the country’s most politically sensitive cases.

More than 100 people, including Khan, are accused of involvement in the assault, which followed his arrest last year and triggered protests.

Officials familiar with the move said Khan, who remains jailed in Adiala on other charges, will attend the proceedings via video link when required.

They said the change was prompted by repeated logistical difficulties in holding hearings inside the prison, where proceedings were often disrupted,.

Lawyers complained of limited access to case documents and political gatherings sometimes overshadowed the trial, they added.

Authorities said the anti-terrorism court premises in Rawalpindi are better equipped to handle a case of this scale.

However, Khan’s separate Toshakhana (state gifts) corruption trial alongside his wife, Bushra Bibi, will continue to be heard inside Adiala Jail.

The Toshakhana case refers to a high-profile corruption case against Khan and his wife related to gifts he allegedly received while he was in office.

Khan, a former cricket star who was ousted from power in 2022, has faced a series of cases since his removal.

The May 9 violence, in which protesters stormed military and government sites, has become a central flashpoint in Pakistan’s political crisis, testing both the justice system and the country’s fragile civil-military balance.