Pakistan court grants bail to Imran Khan’s nephew in May 9 riots case

An Anti Terrorism Court (ATC) in Pakistan, presided over by Judge Manzar Ali Gill, on Wednesday granted bail to Shahrez Khan, the nephew of incarcerated PTI founder Imran Khan, after hearing arguments from both the prosecution and defense.

Shahrez was arrested on August 21 during a raid at the residence of his mother, Aleema Khan. The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) alleged that during the operation, household staff were assaulted and family members were harassed. His brother, Shershah Khan, was taken into custody the following day.

The legal proceedings against Shahrez stem from riots on May 9, 2023, when protesters stormed military installations, including the historic Jinnah House in Lahore, after former prime minister Imran Khan was briefly detained in a corruption probe.

The state filed charges of terrorism, sedition, mutiny, and rioting in response. Authorities have called the unrest an attack on state institutions, while PTI leaders insist the charges are part of a politically driven campaign to crush dissent.

Defense counsel Rana Mudassar contended that Shahrez had been falsely implicated in the case and argued that no evidence placed him at the scene of the alleged offense.

He told the court that geofencing data and investigation records made no mention of Shahrez’s presence during the events in question.

Additionally, he submitted sworn affidavits confirming that Shahrez was in Chitral between May 6 and 12.

The counsel also pointed out that over five hundred co-accused in the case had already been granted bail, arguing that Shahrez was entitled to the same relief.

After reviewing the arguments, the court approved Shahrez Khan’s bail request.

Last month, Shahrez Khan was remanded into police custody for eight days by Lahore ATC in connection with the May 9 riots. ATC Judge Manzar Ali Gul approved the physical remand after police sought 30 days to interrogate Shahrez in the high-profile case.