SC admits Imran's bail pleas in eight May 9 cases

Prosecutor Naqvi told SC that bail case observations are 'interim in nature'

The Supreme Court on Thursday admitted bail pleas of ousted prime minister Imran Khan in eight cases pertaining to May 9 riots. 

“In one of the May 9 cases, the SC granted bail despite the conspiracy allegation,” Chief Justice of Pakistan Yahya Afridi said, asking the prosecution to refer to a previous judgment. “In all three rulings, the accused were granted bail despite conspiracy allegations.”

Prosecutor Zulfiqar Naqvi responded that “in bail cases, the court’s observations are always of an interim nature. Court observations have no effect on the trial.” He said that from 1996 to 2024, the SC had repeatedly held that observations in bail matters were temporary.

Naqvi told the bench that in the conspiracy case, the court had granted bail to three accused, adding that in one such case, the accused were not named in the FIR. He said the apex court had laid down this framework in 2014, earlier reaffirmed in 1996, 1998, and in the 2022 Muhammad Rafiq vs State case.

Read: CJ rejects delay in Imran bail hearings

“The High Court’s judgment also states that the observations are of an interim nature,” he added.

Acknowledging that the SC granted bail to Ejaz Chaudhry, Prosecutor Naqvi argued it differed from the PTI founder’s case as “no evidence existed and the accused had not been named in the FIR,” but CJP Afridi said the prosecution must show it was “different from earlier ones.”

Pressed on evidence against Khan, Naqvi said three witness statements were presented, arguing the PTI founder “played a central role in all cases.”

“If the SC makes observations on merits, the trial will be affected. My role was to warn you; the rest is for you to consider,” CJP cautioned.

Naqvi insisted the law barred bail and claimed there was “solid evidence” against Khan, but the CJP said, “the evidence will have to be proven before the trial court.”