The High Court of Lahore (LHC) ruled on Thursday that former Prime Minister Imran Khan was involved in a plot behind the violent events of May 9, 2023, citing testimonies from two police officers.
The court rejected the request on bond after the arrest of Imran, noting sufficient reasons for the criminal plot and complicity.
According to the detailed ordinance, the declarations of Inspector Ismat Kamal and the Sub-inspector assistant (ASI) Hassan Afzal Place Imran like the one who held meetings which held on May 4 at the Chakri rest area, Rawalpindi, and on May 7 and 9 in Lahore. The court said it undermined the argument that Imran was in prison during violence on May 9.
“These declarations attract the provisions of article 120-B and article 121-A of the Pakistan Criminal Code,” said the judgment. The two sections deal with the criminal plot and the mutiny accounting, which have serious legal consequences.
Read: LHC rejects Imran’s surety in the eight cases of May 9
During the hearing, the court observed that the previous conviction of Imran in the Trust affair of al-Qadir was not disputed. He also said that his alleged statements and actions had led to loss of lives and damage to state property.
The accusation submitted audio and video clips, including transcriptions prepared by Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA), which require a medical-legal examination. The authorities had obtained authorization from the court to carry out photogrammetry, polygraph and vocal correspondence tests in prison premises. However, the investigators reported that Imran have repeatedly refused to cooperate, which hinders progress.
The court concluded that the accusations are the forbidden clause of article 497 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CRPC), which prohibits the deposit in serious offenses. He found no new circumstances to justify a new investigation or a bail.
“In collective consideration of the facts … We are not inclined to grant a deposit after the arrest in the petitioner,” said the court, rejecting the petition.
