BIG relief for Imran Khan from Pakistan’s Supreme Court: Ex-jailed Prime Minister granted bail in THIS case, will he finally step out of jail?

Imran Khan has been in jail since August 2023 when a court sentenced him to three years in prison for illegally selling state gifts while he was PM.

Former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan got some relief on Thursday as the Supreme Court granted him bail in several cases linked to the 2023 attacks on military installations. The information was confirmed by court records and Khan’s legal team. A three-judge bench led by Chief Justice Yahya Afridi overturned an earlier Lahore High Court decision that had rejected his bail pleas in eight related cases.

However, the Supreme Court added a condition to his release that Khan can only walk free if he is not wanted in any other case. Since he has already been convicted in a corruption case, this ruling does not mean his immediate release from prison.

The former cricketer-turned-politician faces numerous cases, ranging from corruption to terrorism, but he has repeatedly claimed that all the charges against him are false and politically motivated. He has been in prison since 2023, serving a sentence in a case related to state gifts, and is also serving a sentence in the 190 million pound case.

Which case Imran Khan is granted bail for?

Imran Khan was arrested in May 2023 in a corruption case, which triggered massive protests across Pakistan. During these protests, some demonstrators attacked several military installations, including the Army Headquarters in Rawalpindi. Following the violence, serious criminal cases were filed against Khan and many leaders of his party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI). Several senior PTI leaders and lawmakers have also recently been convicted in similar cases.

Will Imran Khan be released from jail after bail?

Despite the relief from the Supreme Court, Imran Khan’s legal troubles are far from over. He will remain in jail because of other convictions and pending cases against him. Khan has been lodged in Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi since August 2023.

Meanwhile, PTI welcomed the Supreme Court’s decision, calling it a “victory for Imran Khan” in a post shared on X (formerly Twitter).

HIGHLIGHTS

1. Pakistan’s Supreme Court granted bail to former prime minister Imran Khan in eight cases linked to riots in 2023.
2. The protests broke out on May 9, 2023, when Khan was first briefly arrested by the national anti-corruption agency in a land bribery case popularly called the Al-Qadir trust case.
3. Khan is charged with inciting the violence, among other cases related to the riots. He denies all charges.
4. Khan has been in jail since August 2023 when a court sentenced him to three years in prison for illegally selling state gifts while he was PM.