LAHORE: An anti-terrorism court (ATC) on Wednesday granted post-arrest bail to Shahriz Khan, son of PTI founder Imran Khan’s sister Aleema Khan, in the Jinnah House attack case.

ATC Judge Manzar Ali Gill announced the reserved verdict, approving Shahriz’s bail plea and ordering his release.

Shahriz’s counsel, Rana Mudassir Umar, argued that his client was falsely implicated, claiming investigations — including geofencing — found no evidence against him. He said the charge sheet mentioned “unknown suspects,” but Shahriz’s name did not appear, nor had any investigating officer testified against him.

The lawyer further told the court that Shahriz was in Chitral between May 6 and 12, with affidavits from witnesses confirming his presence there. He added that Shahriz, an Oxford student and athlete, was arrested 28 months after the incident to exert pressure on his mother, who has been campaigning for Imran Khan’s release.

Read More: ATC Sends Shershah on 14-Day Judicial Remand

Background

Shahriz was arrested last month in connection with the May 9 riots, which saw violent attacks on military and state properties, including Lahore’s historic Jinnah House.

His mother, Aleema Khan, earlier alleged that four armed men had abducted her son, but police later confirmed his arrest.

Separately, Aleema’s other son, Sher Shah Khan, was also taken into custody on Tuesday when he appeared at the ATC during his brother’s hearing.