LHC rejects Imran Khan's plea seeking interim bail in all cases

The Lahore High Court (LHC) has dismissed the plea for interim bail filed by Imran Khan, the founder of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), in the cases registered against him.

The court announced the verdict after reviewing reports presented by the Punjab Home Department and the federal government.

During the hearing, the Punjab Home Department informed the court that no cases had been registered against Imran Khan in the province.

However, the federal government's lawyer reported that the Islamabad Police had registered a total of 62 cases against the PTI leader.

The hearing was presided over by Justice Farooq Haider, who was addressing a petition filed by Imran Khan's sister, Noreen Niazi.

Her lawyer argued that Imran Khan should be granted interim bail in all the cases against him.

Justice Haider, however, rejected the plea for interim bail, stating that the accused must appear before the court in person for pre-arrest bail.

He added that if any cases were being withheld or concealed, action would be taken against the concerned District Police Officer (DPO) for contempt of court.

Following the hearing, the court dismissed the petition based on the information provided in the reports.

This legal development comes amid the ongoing political and legal challenges faced by Imran Khan, as his party, PTI, grapples with a series of legal cases following his ousting from office earlier this year.

These developments come despite Khan mandating Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur and party Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan to open dialogue with the establishment, his sister Aleema Khan said on Tuesday 19th.

However, prevoiously an Islamabad court acquitted the former PM and other party leaders, including Faisal Vawda and Sheikh Rashid, in a case filed under the amplifier act and section 144 violations at the Aabpara police station.

Judicial Magistrate Yasir Mahmood Chaudhry issued the detailed judgement, highlighting inconsistencies in the prosecution's narrative.

The court observed that the prosecution alleged a crowd of 1,000 to 1,200 individuals attacked police officers, yet no injuries to police personnel were reported.

The case, registered in August 2022, accused the PTI leadership of violating section 144 during a political gathering. The court also instructed the return of surety bonds submitted by the accused.