The Supreme Court on Tuesday reconstituted the bench set to hear the bail appeals of PTI founder Imran Khan related to the May 9 incidents. A new bench will take up the matter on August 12. The newly formed three-member bench will be headed by Chief Justice Yahya Afridi and will include Justice Shafi Siddiqui and Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb. The hearing, which was previously delayed due to a request by lawyer Salman Safdar, has now been rescheduled to August 12. 

Earlier , the apex court postponed the hearing on the bail pleas Imran Khan in cases related to the May 9 incidents, following a request from his defense counsel Salman Safdar. A two-member bench headed by Chief Justice Yahya Afridi took up Imran Khan’s appeals against the Lahore High Court’s rejection of his post-arrest bail. At the outset of the proceedings, the chief justice noted that a request for adjournment had been submitted. 

Advocate Salman Akram Raja informed the court that Salman Safdar is currently out of the country and requested the court to grant a new hearing date for next week and issue immediate notices to all parties. The Supreme Court, however, denied the request for an early date and notices, adjourning the hearing until August 12. Imran Khan had filed the post-arrest bail petitions through his counsel after the Lahore High Court dismissed his bail applications in the May 9 cases.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP)