LAHORE – An Anti-Terrorism Court on Thursday granted post-arrest bail to Sher Shah, another son of Aleema Khan and nephew of Imran Khan, in May 9 Jinnah House attack case.
ATC Judge Manzer Ali Gill passed the order and granted bail to Sher Shah against surety bond worth Rs100,000, and ordered his release.
During the proceedings, PTI founder Imran Khan’s sisters Aleema Khan and Uzma Khan as well as former foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi’s wife Mehreen Qureshi appeared before the court.
Advocate Rana Mudassar and Barrister Taimur represented the accused in the case who argued that the challan against Shehr Shah had not yet been submitted, and the trial’s commencement was uncertain.
He contended that the accused could not be kept in custody indefinitely, especially when no concrete evidence existed to link him with rioting or vandalism.
The counsel further argued that several accused facing more serious allegations had already been granted bail while Sher Shah faced no direct charge of involvement in damage or violence. He added that implicating one person solely on another accused’s statement was unjust.
Just a day ago, Shahrez Khan, the other nephew of Imran Khan, secured bail in a case related to Jinnah House attack on May 9. The defence counsel had argued that neither geofencing nor the investigation report had established his presence at the scene. He highlighted that the challan mentioned several accused persons, both named and unknown, but Shahrez’s name was absent, terming his inclusion in the case a fabricated attempt.
The defence had further argued that Shahrez’s arrest came more than two years after the riots and was politically motivated. Affidavits were also submitted, asserting that Shahrez was in Chitral between May 6 and 12, 2023, during the period of unrest. The counsel dismissed the alleged recovery of a club from the accused after two years as “absurd and baseless.”
He had stressed that hundreds of other suspects with more serious allegations had already been granted bail, yet Shahrez was selectively targeted. The defence had also pointed out that Shahrez, being a sportsman, was facing undue victimisation, which could tarnish Pakistan’s international reputation.
The prosecution had opposed the plea, insisting there was material evidence against the accused and urged the court to deny relief. However, the court approved the bail request, directing Shahrez’s release on surety bonds.
