PakkaHyderabadi 
Former Prime Minister Imran Khan granted bail by Supreme Court in multiple May 9 riot cases
Former Prime Minister Imran Khan was granted bail by the Supreme Court of Pakistan on August 21, 2025, in eight cases related to the May 9, 2023, riots. The bail was approved by a three-member bench led by Chief Justice Yahya Afridi. However, Khan has not yet been released from prison as he is still awaiting bail in a ninth case. He faces multiple charges, including allegedly inciting supporters to attack government and military buildings during the May 9 violence in Lahore.
Alongside the bail decision, Khan nominated ethnic Pashtun politician Mahmood Khan Achakzai as the opposition leader in the National Assembly, and Azam Khan Swati as the leader of the opposition in the Senate. These appointments follow recent vacancies caused by the conviction of PTI leaders Omar Ayub Khan and Shibli Faraz in cases related to the same May 9 unrest. Achakzai leads the Pashtoonkhwa Milli Awami Party and is part of the opposition alliance TTAP, while Swati is a senior PTI politician close to Khan.
Imran Khan, 72, has been incarcerated in Adiala Jail, Rawalpindi, since August 2023 after his conviction in a corruption case. He was ousted from office in April 2022 and has since faced numerous legal challenges, many arising after his removal from power. The Supreme Court had previously granted bail to several PTI leaders convicted in connection with the May 9 riots.
