Pakistan: Imran Khan claims his nomination in May 9 riots case part of political vendetta

Lahore [Pakistan], April 15 (ANI): Pakistan's former Prime Minister Imran Khan told the Lahore High Court (LHC) that his nomination in the rioting cases is part of a political vendetta as he was in the custody of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on May 9, 2023, when violent protests erupted in Pakistan, The Express Tribune reported.
On Monday, a division bench of the LHC, which includes Justice Syed Shahbaz Ali Rizvi and Justice Tariq Saleem Sheikh, resumed hearing Imran Khan's bail applications in eight May 9 cases, including the Corps Commander House attack case.
During the hearing, PTI founder Imran Khan's lawyer, Salman Safdar, told the bench that he had presented his argument at the last hearing of the case. In his petition, Imran Khan has said that he was falsely accused and that he and other PTI leaders planned a conspiracy before May 9, 2023, to attack state institutions in case he was arrested, The Express Tribune reported.
He requested the court to approve his bail in all May 9 cases and ordered his release. The bench will resume hearing the case on April 17. Earlier in November last year, an anti-terrorism court dismissed all bail applications of Imran Khan.
Meanwhile, an Anti-Terrorism Court in Islamabad on Monday reserved its judgment on bail applications of 86 PTI members who were booked in vandalism cases following the protest held by PTI on November 26.
Judge Abual Hasnat Muhammad Zulqarnain presided over the hearing on the bail petitions filed by PTI workers, who were represented in court by Advocate Sardar Muhammad Masroof, Advocate Amna Ali, Zahid Bashir Dar, Ansar Kayani, Murtaza Turi, and Fatehullah Burki.
Advocate Kayani said that none of the accused were originally nominated in the case. However, they were later identified through an identification parade, which was carried out five months following the incident.
He mentioned that the identification procedure was carried out entirely in English, the report said. He asked, "Could the police officials speak English? Could the accused understand English?"
He said that PTI workers, following their release in Rawalpindi after five- to six-month detention, are implicated in cases in Islamabad, The Express Tribune reported. Kayani said that the statements given by the accused in police custody have no legal weight, and there is no specific role attributed to any accused, no recoveries and no evidence.
Kayani requested the court to approve bail, noting that the court had already granted bail to some accused in related cases. Advocate Sardar Muhammad Masroof Khan stated that none of the accused was arrested on the spot by police; all were taken from their residences. The defence lawyer said that the bails issued previously by the court were upheld by the Islamabad High Court.
Violent clashes erupted in Pakistan after Imran Khan was arrested on May 9, 2023. The protests were held in remote and major cities as PTI workers were angry over the arrest of the party founder, with Balochistan, Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Islamabad summoning the armed forces to ensure law and order. Army installations, including the Corps Commander's house in Lahore, were attacked during the protests held by PTI workers. (ANI)