LAHORE: An anti-terrorism court on Wednesday dismissed petitions of PTI founding chairman Imran Khan seeking post-arrest bail in eight cases of May 9 riots, including an attack on the corps commander’s residence.

ATC-I Judge Manzer Ali Gill had reserved a verdict after hearing final arguments of the lawyers for the petitioner and the prosecution, which he announced later in the evening.

In his concluding arguments, Barrister Salman Safdar argued that he represented the PTI founding chairman in 240 cases wherein every possible charge had been filed by the prosecution.

He said the cipher case against Imran Khan reached the Supreme Court, while relief in all other cases was granted by lower courts.

Pleas filed after LHC quashed ex-PM’s remand in 12 cases

He stated that police are the complainant in 230 or more cases. He argued that the police keep switching their claims about how the alleged conspiracy of May 9 was hatched. He said the police initially claimed that the conspiracy took place in Chakri, Islamabad, and later alleged it happened on social media.

The counsel said he was seeking post-arrest bail from the court, not asking for the discharge of the petitioner from the cases. He stated that no evidence had been presented to date regarding the allegations made against the petitioner. He said the charge sheets (challans) for the cases had not been filed by the prosecution yet.

“Whether a conspiracy occurred or how it happened, these matters will be addressed in the trial,” Barrister Safdar argued.

He pointed out that in Islamabad, Bushra Bibi had been nominated in 12 cases, but the trial court discharged her from the case denying physical remand to the police.

Opposing the bail petitions, Deputy District Prosecutor Rana Aazar argued that the PTI wanted to turn Pakistan into Sri Lanka.

He said the PTI founding chairman hatched a conspiracy on May 7, prior to his arrest, and conveyed instructions to other leaders on what actions to take in the event of his detention. He said the phone from which these orders were issued remains in the petitioner’s possession. He alleged that Dr Yasmin Rashid and Mian Aslam Iqbal were mainly entrusted with a plan of attacks and chaos.

He said Dr Yasmin assured Imran Khan that the plan would be executed while Mian Mehmoodur Rasheed and Senator Ejaz Chaud­hry were also part of the conspiracy.

The prosecutor said following the petitioner’s arrest, the suspects targeted army facilities and public properties as instructed. He said the arguments and precedents presented by the petitioner’s lawyer were irrelevant. He said the eight cases in hand were separate and had no connection with the cases in Islamabad.

The prosecutor argued that in the UK, the King’s actions were above reproach, but the PTI chairman was no king as every crime he commits is accountable. He stated that India celebrated the events of May 9. He said the attacks by the petitioner’s party have not ended yet.

“Even today, Rangers and police personnel are being martyred,” he said, referring to Nov 24 protests in Islamabad. “The petitioner sits in jail, enjoys traditional food like desi chicken, and orchestrates conspiracies while portraying himself as innocent,” the prosecutor remarked, adding that such individuals face severe punishments across the world.

Prosecutor Rana Abdul Jabbar also presented arguments, saying each case of violence has different circumstances and events.

He said the incidents of May 9 were on the level of the Capitol Hill attack and 9/11.

The prosecutor stated that the entire world was closely watching these cases and their outcomes reached the tables of leaders like Modi and Trump within minutes.

The attacks on Askari Tower and Shadman police station are also among the 12 cases. These post-arrest bail petitions were filed after the Lahore High Court on July 25 quashed physical remand of the former prime minister in 12 cases.

ATC-III Judge Arshad Javed on Nov 8 granted post-arrest bail to Imran Khan in four cases, including burning the PML-N office in Model Town, a container near Kalma Chowk, police vehicles in Gulberg, and violence at Sherpao Bridge during the May 9 riots.

Published in Dawn, November 28th, 2024