The Supreme Court of Pakistan (SC) deferred the hearing of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan’s bail pleas in the May 9 incidents until August 12, 2025, due to the unavailability of his primary lawyer, Salman Safdar, who is currently abroad.

The two-judge panel, led by Chief Justice Yahya Afridi and including Justice Muhammad Shafi Siddiqui, accepted the adjournment request presented by Advocate Salman Akram Raja, who appeared on Khan”s behalf.

Raja requested an immediate notification to all parties involved for the rescheduled date. While the court granted the postponement, it declined the request for expedited notices. The eight post-arrest bail applications relate to terrorism and arson charges stemming from the May 9 events. These appeals challenge the Lahore High Court”s earlier rejection of Khan’s bail requests.

Khan”s legal team argues that the Lahore High Court improperly justified delays in witness testimonies and erroneously accepted prosecution arguments about the timing of crucial evidence. The appeals assert that the High Court overstepped its authority by attempting to bolster a weak prosecution case, particularly since Khan faces no specific conspiracy accusations related to May 9.

The appeals question the lack of preventative measures if authorities were aware of the supposed conspiracy days prior. They further raise concerns about political persecution, citing a lack of impartiality in the investigations where police acted as both accuser and investigator. The timing of Khan”s July 14, 2024 arrest, shortly after his acquittal in another case, is presented as evidence of a calculated plan to keep him incarcerated. The petitions ultimately seek to overturn the Lahore High Court’s June 24 ruling and secure Khan’s release on bail in all pending May 9 cases.