The Supreme Court (SC) on Tuesday adjourned the hearing of the petitions filed by former prime minister and PTI founder Imran Khan, seeking bail in eight May 9 cases, until August 12 at the request of the appellant’s lawyer, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.
A two-member bench, headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Justice Yahya Afridi heard the case.
On Tuesday afternoon, the two-judge bench was changed and now a three-member bench will take up the case on August 12.
CJP Yahya Afridi will lead the bench while other two members are: Justice Shafi Siddiqui and Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb.
In November 2024, an anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Lahore had denied Imran bail in the cases related to the May 9 incidents of violence, including an attack on the house of the Lahore Corps Commander.
The incarcerated PTI founder’s plea challenging that was also rejected by the Lahore High Court (LHC) on June 24.
Subsequently, Imran moved the apex court last week against the LHC’s rejection of his bail pleas.
PTI Secretary General Salman Akram Raja appeared before the court on behalf of Imran, as his main counsel, while Salman Safdar could not attend the hearing since he was out of the country.
Raja informed the bench that Safdar had applied for an adjournment of the hearing till next week.
He requested that the hearing be fixed for next week.
However, the bench rejected the requests and adjourned the hearing till August 12.
Imran, in his appeal, filed through senior counsel Salman Safdar, claimed that he had been accused of conspiring and abetting violence on May 9.
However, at the time of the alleged offence, he was in the custody of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB). Therefore, his involvement in violence was “impossible”, the petition argued.
Reporter: Amanat Gishkori