The acceptance of bail pleas of former Prime Minister Imran Khan by the Supreme Court in May 9, 2023 riots cases is a major breakthrough. It will have an impact on his incarceration, as the lone case in which he requires relief now is the 190 million pounds Al-Qadir graft case. While the same has long been pending for appellate hearing at the IHC, the PTI now plans to move the apex court for an early adjudication.
It is assumed that Khan might walk free in weeks to come, as the offence has been convicted of in Al-Qadir case is bailable. While that assumption is subject to specifications of law and the outcome of proceedings in pending cases, the beleaguered PTI and its founder have won a major legal battle as the May 9 cases that were considered as the bastion of discord now stand decimated in terms of argument and retribution.
The brief and crispy hearing on Thursday was epoch-making in essence. It came as a great succour as the Chief Justice and the bench grilled the prosecutor to prove the veracity of “conspiracy” charges against the PTI chief, and squarely termed them bailable as per precedents of the court. The three-member bench also noticed that the suspect had been on bail for two months until his arrest, after May 9 vandalism, and observed that it was enough of a timeframe for the prosecution to establish undeniable proof of his involvement, which it could not to this day. While the top court refrained from going into the merits of the case, it dealt comprehensively with its legal essence and found the charges untenable.
These observations from the honourable judges can go a long way as other suspects in the May 9 riots, who have been sentenced by the anti-terrorism courts, are heard on appeal. The need is to let justice come full circle, and the suspects be heard by broadening the canvas of defence as per their lawful rights. The fact that the cases pertaining to opposition leaders and activists are coming up for a more rational hearing is a good omen, and necessitates judicial propriety in all sincerity.
