The hearings at the District and Sessions Court included five cases linked to the May 9 unrest, in which former minister Shah Nawaz Ranjha was allegedly targeted in an attempted murder, 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 secured relief in previous hearings and criticising what he described as the government’s lack of follow-up in the cases.
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“If the founder and Bushra Bibi are not produced here, Adiala Jail is available. If they are not presented, the superintendent of the jail should appear,” Safdar told the court.
He also referred to Khan’s health concerns, saying stress can affect eyesight, and urged the court to issue a decision on the applications on Wednesday.
Justice Majoka sought clarification on which bail pleas had previously been rejected, after which Safdar outlined four instances. The prosecution requested time to prepare its arguments and sought a fresh date for hearing.
Safdar further criticised the absence of investigating officers, saying they had not appeared in court or completed necessary inquiries.
The court directed that complete records of all cases be produced by February 24 and ordered investigating officers to appear with the records at the next hearing. Proceedings were adjourned until February 24.
May 9 Riots
The May 9 riots erupted nationwide following the arrest of former prime minister Imran Khan, after which PTI leaders and workers staged protests targeting both civil and military installations, including Jinnah House and the General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi.
The military condemned the events as a “Black Day” and decided to try the protesters under the Army Act. As a result of the unrest, many PTI members were arrested and tried in military courts. In December, a military court convicted 25 individuals, including Imran Khan’s nephew, Hassan Khan Niazi, and later sentenced 60 more.
In January 2025, 19 convicts had their sentences pardoned following successful mercy appeals, although PTI expressed dissatisfaction over the limited number of pardons.
The military trials had initially been halted following a Supreme Court ruling but were resumed following the court’s instructions to finalise pending cases and announce judgments for those involved in the violent incidents.