High Court Rejects Bail for Key Suspect in Imran Khan Attack Case

A high court in Pakistan has denied bail to Muhammad Naveed, the main suspect in the assassination attempt on ex-Prime Minister Imran Khan during a 2022 rally. Despite claims of insufficient evidence, the court ruled against bail, citing strong identification through eyewitness accounts and CCTV footage.

A high court in Pakistan has dismissed the bail petition of Muhammad Naveed, the prime suspect in the assassination attempt on Imran Khan, the former prime minister and PTI founder, during a road show two years ago. The incident had occurred in Punjab's Wazirabad city in November 2022.

The Lahore High Court's two-member bench, led by Justice Shahbaz Ali Rizvi, reviewed the bail plea this week. The prosecution presented evidence indicating Naveed's identification through CCTV footage and testimonies from eyewitnesses. Declaring the evidence sufficient, they argued his direct involvement in the attack was unequivocal.

The court's rejection comes despite the defense's insistence on a lack of compelling evidence against Naveed. The assassination attempt had left Khan injured, resulted in one fatality, and drew widespread condemnation. Khan has accused high-profile figures, including Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and a top ISI officer, of orchestrating the attack, though they deny involvement.

(With inputs from agencies.)