Judge orders all case records to be submitted by February 24 and orders all investigating officers to appear as well
Imran Khan, founder of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf. Photo: Archive
ISLAMABAD:
A district and sessions court in Islamabad on Wednesday ordered jailed former prime minister Imran Khan to appear in person or via video conferencing in the upcoming hearing of six cases filed against him.
The hearings at the District and Sessions Court included five cases related to the May 9 riots, in which former minister Shah Nawaz Ranjha was allegedly the target of an assassination attempt, as well as a separate case involving alleged fake receipts.
Additional Sessions Judge Afzal Majoka presided over the proceedings. Imran was represented by lawyers Salman Safdar and Khalid Yousaf Chaudhry. His sisters, Aleema Khan, Uzma Khan and Noreen Niazi, were also present in court.
Safdar presented arguments on six bail applications, saying Imran had obtained relief in previous hearings and criticizing what he described as the government’s failure to follow up on cases.
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“If the founder and Bushra Bibi are not produced here, Adiala jail is available. If they are not produced, the jail superintendent should appear,” Safdar told the court.
He also referred to Khan’s health problems, saying stress can affect his eyesight, and urged the court to issue a decision on the applications on Wednesday.
Judge Majoka sought clarification on which bail applications had been rejected earlier, after which Safdar outlined four cases. The prosecution asked for time to prepare its arguments and requested a new hearing date.
Safdar further criticized the absence of investigating officers, saying they had neither appeared in court nor completed necessary investigations.
The court ordered that complete records of all cases be submitted by February 24 and directed investigating officers to appear with the records at the next hearing. The procedure was postponed until February 24.
May 9 riots
The May 9 riots broke out across the country following the arrest of former Prime Minister Imran Khan, after which PTI leaders and workers staged protests against civil and military installations, including Jinnah House and General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi.
The military condemned the events as a “Black Day” and decided to try the protesters under the Army Law. As a result of the riots, many PTI members were arrested and tried in military courts. In December, a military court convicted 25 people, including Imran Khan’s nephew Hassan Khan Niazi, and subsequently convicted 60 more.
In January 2025, 19 convicts were pardoned following successful clemency appeals, although the PTI expressed displeasure at the limited number of pardons.
The military trials had initially been suspended following a Supreme Court ruling, but were resumed following the court’s instructions to finalize pending cases and announce sentences for those involved in the violent incidents.
