Imran Khan's Nephew Jailed By Pakistan Court Over May 9 Riots

A Pakistani court on Saturday sent incarcerated former prime minister Imran Khan's nephew Shahrez Khan to jail on judicial remand in a case related to an attack on a senior military officer's house in Lahore during the May 9, 2023, riots.

On Thursday last week, the Anti-terrorism Court had sent Khan’s another nephew, Shershah, to jail on judicial remand in the same case.

Both Shahrez and Shershah are sons of Khan's sister Aleema Khan.

The Lahore Police had arrested both brothers on August 21.

Shahrez, an international athlete, was presented before ATC upon the completion of his physical remand.

"The prosecutor sought a further 30-day physical custody of Shahrez, while his counsel urged the court to discharge his client from the case as he was in Chitral, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, on May 9, 2023," a court official said.

His counsel submitted photocopies of affidavits of seven people who either travelled with Shahrez or were residing at Chitral on May 9.

“The only reason Shahrez has been arrested in a phoney case because he is the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) founder’s nephew,” his counsel told the court.

After hearing arguments of both sides, the court denied the police’s request and ordered that Shahrez be sent to jail on a 14-day judicial remand. Amnesty International and the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan have expressed their concerns over the arrest of Khan's nephews, terming it a “political witch-hunt”.

Aleema has been openly criticising the military establishment.

Earlier, Aleema told the media that Khan asked his party members to hold Pakistan Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir accountable if anything happens to him in jail.

The 72-year-old cricketer-turned-politician has been behind bars since August 2023 after he was booked in multiple cases.

Shahrez graduated from Oxford University and at present, he works as the regional head at Simba Global, a linen supplier based in Australia, and is also a triathlete.

Khan's another nephew, Hassan Niazi, is convicted by the military court in a case related to the May 9, 2023, riots for 10 years.

Following the arrest of Khan in May 2023, military and state buildings were attacked by his supporters. Hundreds of PTI workers and some main leaders have been convicted of the offence.