Court Reserves Verdict on Bail Plea of Imran Khan’s Nephew Shahriz Khan in May 9 Riots Case

Islamabad – A significant development has taken place in the bail petition of Shahriz Khan, son of Aleema Khan and nephew of PTI founder Imran Khan, as the Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) Lahore has reserved its judgment on his post-arrest bail plea.

ATC Judge Manzar Ali Gul heard the case pertaining to the May 9, 2023 riots. After listening to arguments from both the defense and prosecution, the court reserved its decision. Shahriz’s parents, Aleema Khan and Sohail Ameer, were present during the proceedings.

Defense counsel Rana Madassar argued that Shahriz was accused of inciting workers but no evidence had been produced against him. He stated that geofencing and investigations were carried out, yet Shahriz’s name did not appear in the charge sheet, nor was there any witness statement against him.

He further claimed that Shahriz was arrested after 28 months only because his mother, Aleema Khan, has been actively campaigning for her brother’s release. The defense also presented sworn statements showing that Shahriz was in Chitral from May 6 to 12, while also highlighting that he is an Oxford University student.

Madassar argued that over 500 accused in the same case have already been granted bail, while no officer had summoned Shahriz prior to his arrest.

The prosecution opposed the plea, contending that verification was still incomplete and that images of Shahriz were taken from his friends’ Facebook accounts, while none existed on his own profile.

Following the completion of arguments, the court reserved its verdict on Shahriz Khan’s bail application.