Rawalpindi ATC cleared Bushra Bibi, wife of former prime minister Imran Khan, in 12 cases related to the May 9, 202 riots. The hearing, presided over by An anti-terrorism court (ATC) Judge Malik Ejaz Asif, took place at a temporary court in Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail, where investigation officers were also present.
Defense counsels, including Salman Safdar and Advocate Malik Faisal, argued against the physical remand of Bushra Bibi, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder’s wife. The court ultimately rejected the Rawalpindi Police’s request for her physical remand and decided to discharge her in the cases.
Speaking to the media outside Central Jail Rawalpindi, Salman Safdar announced that Bushra Bibi had been acquitted in all the cases based on various statements, adding that the court dismissed the prosecution’s evidence and questioned the credibility of any statements from co-accused individuals.
Salman Safdar also mentioned that Imran Khan had received a clean chit in the cipher case, although a detailed verdict is still pending. He noted that four state prosecutors were present at the hearing, and the government reserves the right to appeal the ATC’s decision.
Bushra Bibi has been detained in multiple cases since her February 2024 arrest in the iddat case, also known as the un-Islamic nikah case. Though acquitted in that case and others, her legal challenges have persisted, including her nomination in the May 9, 2023 violence cases.
The May 9, 2023 riots erupted following Imran Khan’s arrest last year, during which alleged PTI supporters vandalized state properties, including military installations. The military condemned the violence, labeling May 9 as “Black Day” and pledged to prosecute the protesters under the Army Act.
