Pakistan’s Supreme Court Grants Bail to Imran Khan in Eight May 9 Cases
Date: August 21, 2025
By News Desk
ISLAMABAD — In a major legal development on Thursday, Pakistan’s Supreme Court granted bail to former Prime Minister and PTI chairman Imran Khan in eight cases connected to the May 9, 2023, riots during which military and government installations were assaulted.
A three-member bench led by Chief Justice Yahya Afridi—alongside Justices Hasan Azhar Rizvi (or Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb, as reconstituted in some reports) and Muhammad Shafi Siddiqui—overturned the prior decisions of the Lahore High Court (LHC) that had denied his bail.
During hearings, the court pressed whether a final observation could be made in bail proceedings—a question the prosecution addressed by stating that such observations are inherently interim and do not prejudice the trial.
Despite the bail being granted, Imran Khan remains incarcerated under overlapping sentences—most notably in the Toshakhana (state gifts) case, the Al-Qadir Trust corruption case, and a £190 million corruption case.
PTI hailed the Supreme Court’s decision as a significant legal victory, circulating the hashtag “Victory For Imran Khan” on social media. The leadership noted that Khan now needs bail in only one remaining case to potentially secure his release.
The unrest broke out after Khan’s arrest at the Islamabad High Court in May 2023. Protests rapidly turned violent across major cities—including attacks on the Corps Commander’s residence in Lahore and the General Headquarters in Rawalpindi.
