By Staff Reporter
LAHORE: The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Thursday upheld conspiracy and abetment charges against Imran Khan, the jailed former prime minister, rejecting his bid for bail in connection with the violent riots that gripped the country on May 9, 2023.
The ruling marks a significant setback for Khan, whose arrest some two years ago triggered widespread unrest and intensified his legal woes. The chaos began when Khan, founder of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, was detained on corruption charges at the Islamabad High Court.
Within hours, protesters, allegedly spurred by PTI leaders, attacked government buildings, torched military sites, and ransacked the Lahore corps commander’s residence.
A state crackdown followed, ensnaring Khan and his party in a web of legal battles. While he has been cleared in several cases, the May 9 charges have stuck. Thursday’s decision addressed Khan’s bail plea in eight riot-related cases, including assaults on military and police targets.
After an antiterrorism court denied bail in November last year, Khan appealed to the high court in January. A brief ruling last week signaled rejection, with the detailed verdict released on Thursday.
Justices Syed Shahbaz Ali Rizvi and Tariq Mahmood Bajwa dismissed Khan’s claim that his detention during the riots absolved him of responsibility. “The argument that the petitioner was in jail on May 9, 2023, is of no help to him,” the court said, citing evidence that Khan orchestrated the violence days earlier.
The prosecution leaned on testimony from two police officials who claimed they infiltrated PTI meetings. They alleged Khan directed party leaders to target military installations if he were arrested, with planning traced to May 4 in Rawalpindi and May 7 and 9 in Lahore.
The court deemed these accounts credible, ruling that they triggered charges of criminal conspiracy and waging war against the state under Pakistan’s Penal Code. Additional evidence, including unverified audio and video clips, bolstered the case, though forensic analysis is pending.
The judges also criticized Khan’s refusal to undergo polygraph and photogrammetric tests, calling it “evasive conduct” that obstructed the investigation.
The court underscored the fallout from Khan’s alleged actions: deaths, injuries, and widespread damage to state property. Unlike other riot suspects granted bail, Khan’s role as PTI leader set him apart. “The petitioner’s case is distinguishable from those who have been released,” the judges wrote, denying his plea. Once a cricket legend turned populist leader, Khan now faces a litany of charges, from graft to incitement.
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