Pakistan: Imran Khan's nephew Shershah Khan gets bail in May 9 riots case

Lahore [Pakistan], September 5 : An anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Lahore on Thursday granted bail to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan's nephew, Shershah Khan, in a case linked to the May 9, 2023, Jinnah House attack, Dawn reported.

Shershah, son of Imran's sister Aleema Khan, was arrested by Lahore Police on August 22 outside his home. He was placed on a five-day physical remand and later sent to jail for 14 days on August 28, Dawn added.

The development comes a day after Shershah's triathlete brother, Shahrez Khan, was also granted bail in a similar case. Shahrez was taken into custody on August 21, handed over to police for eight days, and later released on bail from Kot Lakpat Jail, Dawn reported.

During Thursday's hearing, Advocate Rana Mudassar Umer, representing Shershah, argued that the prosecution had yet to present the case record.

"No one knows when the trial will begin. Therefore, the suspect cannot be kept in jail for an unlimited period," Umer told the court, asserting that "no evidence" had been produced against his client.

"The suspect was not involved in any riots," he added. "Someone cannot be implicated [in a case] just based on one suspect's identification of him."

Pointing out that Shershah was arrested 28 months after the May 9 incidents, Umer alleged, "Vindictive actions are being taken because of being a part of the PTI founder's family."

He also claimed that the cane allegedly recovered from Shershah was "planted" and cited the discharge of PTI's Dr Yasmin Rashid by the same ATC based on a co-suspect's statement.

Subsequently, ATC Judge Manzer Ali Gill approved Shershah's post-arrest bail against a surety bond of Rs100,000 and ordered his release, if not required in any other case, Dawn reported.

Umer, on X, described the bail as a "result of teamwork" of the lawyers, while Shershah's lawyer, Barrister Taimur Malik, confirmed the approval on the platform.

Referring to the bail of both brothers, their cousin Qasim Zaman Khan alleged, "These arrests were nothing but political victimisation."

Amnesty International and the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan had earlier expressed concern over the arrests, with the former calling it a "political witch-hunt."

However, Minister of State for Interior Tallal Chaudhry defended the arrests, saying they could not be dismissed as "fake, fabricated [or] politically motivated," Dawn reported.

On May 9, 2023, PTI supporters staged violent protests across Pakistan, vandalising military installations, state-owned buildings, and attacking the Lahore corps commander's residence following Imran Khan's arrest.

The state subsequently launched a crackdown on the PTI, arresting thousands of protesters and top party leaders.

Several PTI figures have recently been convicted in riot-related cases and disqualified from parliamentary roles, Dawn added.

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