Bail Granted to Imran Khan, Supreme Court Reverses LHC

Pakistan’s top court has delivered a major legal twist in the May 9 cases as bail granted to Imran Khan on Thursday by the Supreme Court restored relief that had earlier been denied by the Lahore High Court.

The three-member bench headed by Chief Justice Yahya Afridi ruled in favour of the former prime minister, stressing that consistency in judicial decisions could not be ignored. The written order highlighted that several individuals facing identical charges had already secured bail, making it imperative to extend the same treatment to Khan.

The decision overturned the June 24 ruling of the Lahore High Court, which had rejected Khan’s petitions despite similar precedents.

Bail Granted to Imran Khan: Legal Reasoning and Reactions

According to the four-page order, the Court carefully noted that the findings recorded by the High Court during the bail stage ventured into disputed factual territory, a step the Supreme Court deemed unnecessary at this stage. Without passing judgment on the legality of those observations, the top court restricted its concern to ensuring judicial uniformity.

The ruling converted Khan’s petitions into appeals, ultimately allowing them. The conditions included a bail bond worth Rs100,000 along with one surety in each of the eight cases, all linked to violent protests in Lahore after his arrest last year.

Commenting on the order, legal expert Sarwar Muzaffar Shah described it as legally correct yet cautious. Drawing a parallel with American judge Frank Caprio, Shah argued that the judiciary must sometimes display courage instead of “playing too safe,” warning that over-caution could damage public trust in Pakistan’s justice system.

Wider Political and Legal Backdrop

The development comes amid an already turbulent legal journey for the PTI founder. While the Supreme Court ruling ensures bail granted to Imran Khan in the May 9 cases, he still faces convictions in the £190 million Al-Qadir Trust case, where both Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi, received prison terms.

At the same time, multiple Anti-Terrorism Court rulings continue to affect PTI leaders, with some acquitted and others sentenced to lengthy jail terms. These verdicts, combined with the fallout of May 9, branded by the military as a “Black Day”, have reshaped Pakistan’s political landscape, leaving Khan entangled in overlapping legal battles even as his party presses for political revival.