Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Yahya Afridi announced that the Supreme Court will issue a one-time directive mandating that all trials related to the May 9 incidents be concluded within four months. He emphasized that this deadline would be explicitly stated in the court’s written order.
The announcement came during the hearing of multiple petitions linked to the May 9 events, conducted by a three-member bench headed by CJP Afridi.
During proceedings, the court dismissed the appeal against former National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser’s bail after the petitioner withdrew the case. The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government had initially filed the appeal, but later retracted it following approval from the provincial cabinet.
In the case of Senator Ejaz Chaudhary, the court issued a notice to the Punjab government and adjourned the matter until Thursday. The bench also granted interim bail to Farhat Abbas and extended interim relief for Imtiaz Shaikh until the same day.
While reviewing a separate plea seeking the cancellation of Muhammad Faheem Qaiser’s bail, lawyer Babar Awan raised concerns over the four-month deadline for trial completion. In response, CJP Afridi clarified that the law already requires trials to be completed within three months, and that the Supreme Court’s order would simply reiterate a clear timeline.
When Awan signaled his intent to challenge the ruling, the CJP replied firmly, “You may go ahead and challenge it. We are dismissing the appeal.”
The court also advised that if the petitioner sought to quash any First Information Reports (FIRs), the appropriate legal forum should be approached.
