Imran Khan Gets Bail in 8 May 9 Cases. So, Is He Walking Free?

In a major development on Thursday, the Supreme Court of Pakistan granted former Prime Minister Imran Khan bail in eight cases related to the riots that took place on May 9, 2023.

But hold on, this doesn’t mean he’s walking out of Adiala Jail just yet. While this is a significant legal victory for the PTI founder, he is still serving sentences in other major cases, including the £190 million corruption reference, which are keeping him behind bars.

This decision comes after a long legal battle. Previously, an anti-terrorism court in Lahore had denied him bail, and the Lahore High Court (LHC) later upheld that decision in June. Imran Khan’s legal team then took the case to the Supreme Court as their final option.

The hearing was led by a three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Yahya Afridi.

The core of the hearing was interesting. The Chief Justice put two simple but powerful questions to the government’s lawyer. First, he questioned whether the Lahore High Court could make such final-sounding judgments while only deciding on a bail matter. Second, he pointed out that the same LHC had already granted bail to another suspect accused of conspiracy in the same case, asking why the same rule wouldn’t apply to Imran Khan.

After the lawyers from both sides finished their arguments, the CJP announced the court’s decision to grant bail.

As expected, the news was immediately celebrated by the PTI on social media, with supporters using the hashtag “Victory For Imran Khan.”

So, what’s the takeaway? It’s a huge morale boost for Imran Khan and his party, marking a successful challenge against the lower courts’ decisions. However, his actual freedom still depends on the outcome of the other cases he faces.