Islamabad: The Lahore High Court (LHC) postponed the bail hearings of PTI leader Imran Khan on Thursday in eight cases connected to the May 9 riots, following a request from the prosecution, Dawn reported.
A two-judge bench led by Justice Syed Shahbaz Ali Rizvi presided over the hearing of Khan’s bail requests. During proceedings, a prosecutor informed the court that an anti-terrorism court had allowed photogrammetric and polygraph tests to be conducted on Khan at Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail related to the May 9 cases. The prosecutor asked the bench to delay the bail process until these tests were completed.
Khan’s lawyer, Barrister Salman Safdar, opposed the delay and questioned the necessity of conducting such tests after nearly two years, arguing that the accused does not need to be in custody for investigation purposes. The court adjourned the hearing until May 27 and requested further arguments from both sides.
Previously, on November 27, an anti-terrorism court had declined bail to Khan in these eight cases. The bail petitions argued that the prosecution failed to prove Khan’s involvement in the incidents described in the FIRs. The petitions claimed Khan was falsely implicated in the May 9 cases to harass and humiliate him politically, even though he was in NAB custody at the time.
The petitions further contended that the only allegation against Khan was “abetment,” which was presented in a vague manner. They pointed out that the trial court had dismissed unsubstantiated and inconsistent allegations related to May 9, and urged the Lahore High Court to overturn the trial court’s decision and grant bail.
Outside Parliament House, PTI chairman Gohar Ali Khan dismissed allegations of any deal concerning Khan’s case, emphasizing that political issues should be resolved through negotiations, not clandestine agreements. He stated, “No deal has been made with any party regarding Imran Khan’s case,” and that all negotiations should be kept confidential and in accordance with the Constitution.
Regarding reports that Khan had agreed to talks with the government, Gohar Ali said he had conveyed the Prime Minister’s invitation, but chose not to disclose any details of the discussions held at Adiala Jail. He stressed that genuine political progress depends on discretion and sincerity and urged against sensationalism by the media, asserting that political issues should be settled through dialogue.