An anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Lahore on Wednesday granted post-arrest bail to Shahrez Khan, nephew of PTI’s founder Imran Khan, in the Jinnah House attack case.
ATC Judge Manzer Ali Gill announced the decision after hearing arguments from both sides.
Shahrez’s lawyer, Rana Mudassar Umar, argued that the allegations of incitement were baseless. He said a thorough investigation, including geofencing, found no evidence linking Shahrez to the May 9 incident. He highlighted that while the police challan listed several nominated and unidentified suspects, Shahrez’s name was not included, suggesting false implication.
The lawyer further argued that Shahrez was arrested over two years after the riots, calling it politically motivated. Affidavits were submitted claiming that Shahrez was in Chitral from May 6 to 12, 2023.
Despite this, police still arrested him and claimed to have recovered a club from him after two years, which the defence dismissed as absurd. The lawyer pointed out that over 500 accused had already secured bail, yet Shahrez was singled out for arrest. He added that Shahrez, an athlete, was being unfairly targeted, which could damage Pakistan’s international image.
The prosecution opposed the plea, insisting there was evidence against him. However, the court granted him bail.
The ATC also scheduled a hearing for September 4 on the bail application of Shahrez’s brother, Sher Shah. Police have been directed to present the case record.
Sher Shah’s lawyer argued that his client was also falsely implicated. Police claimed Sher Shah appeared in a video with his cousin, Barrister Hassan Niazi, at the crime scene, but the defence insisted that mere video presence did not prove guilt.
Shahrez was arrested on August 21, while Sher Shah was detained on August 22. Both were presented before court the next day.
