Pakistan’s Supreme Court on Thursday granted bail to former Prime Minister Imran Khan in eight cases linked to the May 2023 riots, his party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) said.
The unrest erupted after Khan was briefly arrested by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) in a land-related bribery case, widely known as the Al-Qadir Trust case.
Authorities say PTI supporters attacked key state buildings, damaged vehicles, and ransacked military facilities during the riots.
Nearly 2,000 people were detained and at least eight were killed, prompting the government to deploy the army to restore order. Khan faces charges including inciting violence, which he denies.
“Supreme Court has granted bail to Imran Khan for May 9th cases,” the PTI said in a text message to media. “Now bail is needed in just one more case (Al-Qadir case) for Mr.Khan to come out of jail.”
In January, Khan was sentenced to 14 years in the Al-Qadir Trust case, while his wife Bushra Bibi received seven years. Prosecutors allege the couple received land from a real estate developer during Khan’s 2018-2022 premiership in exchange for illegal favors. Khan and Bibi pleaded not guilty, insisting the land was intended for a spiritual and educational institution, not personal gain.
Khan has been in prison since August 2023, following a three-year sentence for illegally selling state gifts while in office, a verdict that barred him from contesting the 2024 general elections. Khan and PTI maintain that all cases against him are politically motivated.