An anti-terrorism court (ATC) on Saturday granted bail to imprisoned former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan in connection to 12 cases related to the May 9 attacks on military installations.
ATC Judge Malik Ejaz Asif provided bail to Imran Khan, the founder of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, upon the submission of a Rs0.1 million surety bond in all 12 cases, which included incidents such as the attack on the General Headquarters (Pakistan Army) and the Army Museum, as reported by The Express Tribune Pakistan.
The court justified its decision by stating that there was no valid reason to continue detaining the 71-year-old Khan, especially considering that all the accused in the May 9 cases were already out on bail. However, Imran Khan will remain incarcerated due to convictions in several other cases.
This court ruling followed a day after independent candidates supported by Khan’s party secured nearly 100 seats in the National Assembly.
Additionally, former Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi was also granted bail in 13 cases related to the same incident. Both Khan and Qureshi were indicted on February 6.
During the court proceedings, Khan, along with PTI stalwart Qureshi, informed the judge that he had been unlawfully arrested on May 9 from the premises of the Islamabad High Court (IHC). Imran Khan faced multiple charges stemming from the violence that erupted on May 9 following his arrest in an alleged corruption case.
The registered cases in Rawalpindi included the attack on the gate of the General Headquarters (GHQ), rioting in the office of a sensitive institution, among others. Khan denied the allegations outlined in the first information reports (FIRs) of these cases.
Notably, after being released from Adiala jail, Qureshi was apprehended by Punjab police in connection with an incident concerning the attack on the GHQ.
