Pakistan Supreme Court grants bail to Imran Khan in May 9 violence case
A 3-judge Bench of Pakistan's Supreme Court granted bail to former PM Imran Khan in the May 9 riots case. Following the verdict, the 72-year-old cricketer-turned-politician said in a social media post that the end of this night of oppression in this country is near. He further said, "My message to the entire nation, my workers and to the party leadership is that your captain is still standing tall, with his head held high. Have no fear."
New Delhi: Pakistan's Supreme Court granted bail to former PM Imran Khan in 8 cases related to the May 9 violence in the country. Supporters of the former PM and leader of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf, resorted to vandalism and violence after he was detained by the police in May 2023. Several cases were filed against Khan and his partymen for their involvement in the riots.
3-judge bench grants bail to Imran Khan
A 3-judge bench of the Supreme Court granted bail to Khan. The bench was led by Chief Justice Yahya Afridi. While lawyer Salman Safdar argued for the former PM, the state was represented by Punjab Special Prosecutor Zulfiqar Naqvi.
Following the verdict, the 72-year-old cricketer-turned-politician said in a social media post that the end of this night of oppression in this country is near. He further said, "My message to the entire nation, my workers and to the party leadership is that your captain is still standing tall, with his head held high. Have no fear."
He said, "We must not, under any circumstances, bow our heads down before tyranny and oppression.Remember -- no matter how long and dark the night may be, dawn is certain to break. The end of this night of oppression is near. God willing, the sun of justice and freedom will soon rise."
HIs party, the PTI hailed the court verdict as a victory. The hashtag "Victory For Imran Khan" was used in the post it made announcing the bail for the deposed leader. PTI's international spokesperson Zulfiqar Bukhari said that now Khan needed bail in just 1 more case to come out of jail. The case is the Al Qadir case.
However the spokesperson informed the media that Khan would not be released even after the bail was granted, due to conviction in the Al Qadir Case.
Khan had earlier filed a petition for bail in the Lahore anti-terrorism court, in cases related to the May 9 riots. The cases included an attack on the house of Lahore Corps commander. But his bail plea was rejected in November 2024.
He challenged the Lahore High Court order, but even the appeal was dismissed in June 2025. Following this he approached the top court and challenged the rejection of bail.
Khan was removed from office in April 2022. He has been imprisoned since August 2023 and is currently lodged in Rawalpindi's high-security Adiala Jail.