In a significant legal development, Pakistan’s Supreme Court on Thursday granted bail to former Prime Minister Imran Khan in eight separate cases connected to violent protests and attacks on military installations that broke out on May 9, 2023.

A three-member bench, headed by Chief Justice Yahya Afridi, set aside the Lahore High Court’s earlier decision, which had rejected bail in these matters. The court ruled that Khan should be released, provided he is not wanted in any other case.

Despite the ruling, Khan will remain in prison as he is serving a sentence in the high-profile Al-Qadir Trust corruption case, which involves the alleged misappropriation of large sums linked to a property settlement.

During the hearing, Khan’s legal team argued that no formal indictments had been filed in the eight riot-related cases, and that his name only appeared in a few of the police reports. The Supreme Court accepted these arguments, with the Chief Justice stating that bail could be granted since a detailed examination of evidence belongs at the trial stage.

Supporters of Khan’s party, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), welcomed the decision and described it as a political and moral victory. Party representatives stressed that with this ruling, only the Al-Qadir Trust case currently stands in the way of Khan’s potential release from custody.

The May 9 cases arose after Khan’s dramatic arrest last year, which triggered nationwide demonstrations and mob attacks on government and military facilities, including the army’s General Headquarters in Rawalpindi. The unrest led to hundreds of arrests and numerous legal battles involving PTI members and leaders.

Although the Supreme Court’s decision marks an important shift in Khan’s ongoing legal struggles, multiple convictions and pending trials mean that the former premier’s path to freedom remains far from clear.

In a sharp departure from typical diplomatic rhetoric, U.S. President Donald Trump has publicly urged Ukraine to adopt offensive military tactics against Russia, declaring that “it is very hard, if not impossible, to win a war without attacking an invader’s country.” He likened the situation to a sports team that cannot win by only defending.

The remarks come amid uncertainty over the prospect of a direct summit between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin. While Trump had floated the idea of hosting a trilateral meeting, Moscow has played down the likelihood of such talks happening soon.

Analysts describe the recent Washington summit, attended by Trump, Zelenskyy, and European leaders, as a European-led “damage control” operation designed to reinforce transatlantic unity and counter perceptions of Trump’s closeness to Putin. While the meeting was successful in projecting solidarity, critics note that it produced little progress on territorial disputes or long-term security guarantees.

Meanwhile, Russia has continued to escalate the war. A massive assault involving more than 500 drones and dozens of missiles targeted Ukrainian infrastructure, including a U.S.-owned factory, leaving multiple casualties. Zelenskyy condemned the attack as evidence that Moscow has no genuine interest in peace, urging stronger international sanctions and trade restrictions.

What This Means

Trump’s call for Ukraine to go on the offensive marks a notable departure from earlier caution about strikes inside Russia, raising fears of potential escalation.

On the other hand, the Washington summit helped showcase European solidarity with Ukraine, but the lack of concrete breakthroughs highlights the fragility of the process.

Russia’s ongoing missile and drone attacks during the diplomatic push have reinforced skepticism about Putin’s willingness to engage in genuine negotiations.

China has sharply criticized the United States for imposing a 50% tariff on Indian exports, including an additional levy tied to India’s imports of Russian oil. Beijing’s envoy in New Delhi, Xu Feihong, described the U.S. action as an act of “bullying” and declared that China would firmly support India in resisting such aggressive trade measures.

Xu warned that silence in the face of these unilateral steps would only embolden the United States, stressing that both India and China should work together to uphold a fair, rules-based international trading system under the World Trade Organization. He added that Beijing and New Delhi should move beyond old rivalries, deepen mutual trust, and strengthen cooperation to help shape a multipolar world.

The ambassador emphasized that China and India, as the two major engines of growth in Asia, have a shared responsibility to push back against protectionism and ensure stability in global trade.

His comments come ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s planned participation in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in Tianjin, where leaders from both nations are expected to hold high-level discussions against the backdrop of rising geopolitical tensions and Washington’s tariff actions.