An anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Lahore on Wednesday granted bail to Shahrez Khan, nephew of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder, in the Jinnah House attack case, 24NewsHD TV reported.
The decision was announced by ATC Judge Manzar Ali Gul following arguments presented by both the defence and prosecution.
During the hearing, Shahrez’s counsel argued that the charges against his client were baseless and unsupported by evidence.
He stated that Shahrez had been accused of inciting PTI workers but maintained that no such proof existed.
The lawyer highlighted that extensive investigations, including geo-fencing, had been conducted, yet Shahrez’s name did not appear anywhere in the police challan.
Furthermore, no investigating officer had recorded a statement implicating him.
The defence further claimed that Shahrez’s arrest was politically motivated, pointing out that his mother, Alima Khan, has been vocal in demanding the release of PTI founder Imran Khan.
The lawyer presented affidavits asserting that Shahrez was in Chitral at the time of the May 9 events, arguing this proved his absence from the crime scene.
The prosecution countered that the affidavits had not been independently verified.
It was also stated that while photographs from the social media accounts of Shahrez’s friends had been collected, no images were available from his personal account linking him directly to the incident.
The prosecution urged the court to reject the bail plea.
After hearing the arguments, Judge Manzar Ali Gul reserved the verdict before later announcing approval of Shahrez Khan’s bail.
The case relates to the May 9, 2023 violence, when the Jinnah House in Lahore was attacked following Imran Khan’s arrest, leading to widespread arrests of PTI leaders and workers.
Earlier, during the hearing, Shahrez Khan’s counsel argued that the accused was not present in Lahore on May 9, claiming he was in Chitral with friends at the time.
The defence submitted affidavits from Shahrez Khan’s friends as supporting evidence.
The lawyer further contended that Shahrez Khan had been implicated only because he is the PTI founder’s nephew, and urged the court to discharge him from the case.
Police had booked Shahrez Khan in connection with the Jinnah House attack under terrorism charges, registered at Sarwar Road Police Station.
Reporter: Jamal Uddin Jamali