ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court has stated that prosecutors have yet to provide concrete evidence of criminal conspiracy against PTI MPA Hafiz Farhat Abbas in connection with the May 9 unrest, ruling that the case merits further inquiry rather than immediate legal action.
In a detailed four-page order authored by Justice Naeem Akhtar Afghan, the court observed that no incriminating material had been recovered from Abbas and that he had shown full cooperation during the investigation. The court concluded that allegations of conspiracy had not been substantiated at this stage, lending weight to the petitioner’s fears of potential humiliation or harassment if taken into custody.
The court noted similarities between Abbas’s case and that of PTI Senator Ejaz Ahmad Chaudhry, where similar circumstances led to a ruling in favor of further investigation rather than immediate prosecution.
The three-member bench, led by Justice Afghan, also highlighted that Abbas was not initially named in the First Information Report (FIR) filed on May 12, 2023. His name was added later in a supplementary statement submitted on June 10, which cited social media posts—such as tweets, videos, and audio clips—as the basis for his implication. The court clarified that the admissibility and weight of this digital content would be evaluated during the trial phase, not beforehand.
Citing the principle of consistency, the bench referred to the pre-arrest bail already granted to co-accused Imtiaz Mehmood in the same case. It ruled that Abbas should be given the same legal protection.
The Supreme Court confirmed its earlier decision from April 15, 2025, to grant Abbas pre-arrest bail and instructed him to continue cooperating with investigators as required.