SC defers Imran Khan’s May 9 bail petitions again; rejects his sisters' plea

The Supreme Court once again adjourned the bail proceedings of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan in the May 9 cases after Special Prosecutor Zulfiqar Naqvi fell ill due to food poisoning, 24NewsHD TV channel reported on Wednesday.

The three-member bench, headed by Chief Justice Yahya Afridi and comprising Justice Shafi Siddiqui and Justice Mian Gul Hassan Aurangzeb, was scheduled to hear Khan’s bail petitions against the Lahore High Court’s decision in eight related cases.

At the start of Wednesday’s hearing, the prosecution’s lawyer informed the court that Special Prosecutor Zulfiqar Naqvi had developed food poisoning and was unable to appear.

The prosecution's lawyer requested an adjournment until next week. However, Chief Justice Afridi rejected the plea and announced that the matter would be heard tomorrow.

The court also dismissed a request to allow Imran Khan’s sisters to speak in the case before the bench during proceedings.

Later, the Supreme Court formally adjourned the case without any progress, scheduling the next hearing for Thursday at 10:30 am.

Yesterday, the Supreme Court had also postponed proceedings after Chief Justice Afridi noted that additional documents had been submitted by Imran Khan’s counsel, Salman Safdar, which needed proper review.

He emphasised that all documents must be submitted and examined in time to ensure fairness to both sides.

During earlier hearings, the Chief Justice questioned the Lahore High Court’s (LHC) decision to dismiss bail pleas with observations, raising concerns over whether merits could be discussed at this stage.

The bench had clarified that the Supreme Court would avoid commenting on the correctness of the LHC’s findings to prevent prejudicing either party’s case.

Special Prosecutor Punjab Zulfiqar Naqvi represented the government, while Salman Safdar appeared for Imran Khan.

Reporter: Amanat Gishkori