Imran seeks post-arrest bail in 12 cases

An anti-terrorism court (ATC) has issued notices to relevant authorities, seeking responses by August 6 on seven out of twelve post-arrest bail petitions filed by PTI's founding chairman Imran Khan in connection with the May 9 riots following his arrest.

Imran Khan, represented by Barrister Salman Safdar, filed these twelve post-arrest bail petitions after the Lahore High Court (LHC) set aside his unlawful physical remand granted by the ATC.

Of the twelve, the ATC Judge addressed seven post-arrest bail petitions, with the remaining five to be reviewed on July 31 (today).

Barrister Safdar contended that the former premier has been implicated in these cases as part of a well-orchestrated plan to harass and humiliate him for political reasons, even though he was in NAB custody and completely incommunicado at the time of the incidents.

He argued that the state and police have tried to implicate Imran in criminal activities based solely on the allegation of 'abetment,' despite Imran not being present at the scene or in Lahore, as he was in NAB custody following his detention at the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on May 9, 2023.

Furthermore, there was no evidence linking Imran to the alleged incidents during his detention from May 9 to May 11, 2023.

The petition noted that multiple FIRs were lodged in Lahore and Islamabad shortly after Imran's unlawful arrest from the Islamabad High Court (IHC) premises, related to the incidents of May 9.

These FIRs lacked details of the alleged conspiracy, and supplementary police statements were later introduced to falsely implicate Imran. It is also questionable why authorities, aware of the alleged conspiracy on May 7, 2023, did not take any preventive measures.

The petition highlighted the malafide intentions of the police, citing a directive from Dr Usman Anwar, IG Punjab, on July 6, 2023, ordering the police to implicate Imran in all May 9 cases.

Safdar argued that mere allegations are insufficient to presume guilt without material evidence, which the prosecution has failed to provide.

The divisional bench of the LHC addressed these twelve cases and issued a consolidated order on July 25, 2024, calling for a 'further inquiry' into Imran's guilt.

The court found it illogical to justify Imran's incarceration, noting the prosecution's failure to present incriminating material despite ample opportunity.

The prosecution's vague allegation of 'abetment' claimed that a conspiracy meeting occurred on May 1, 2023, at Rose Hotel, Chakkri Rest Area, where Imran and party leaders supposedly planned the May 9 riots.

However, the police remained silent about the conspiracy for eight days, raising doubts about the authenticity of the prosecution's claims.