Court forms appeals courts for cipher cases and dismisses multiple bail petitions as fruitless
Imran Khan, founder of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf. Photo: Archive
ISLAMABAD:
The Supreme Court on Monday rejected a request for immediate meeting with jailed Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder and former Prime Minister Imran Khan. Following lawyer Latif Khosa’s request to meet Khan, a notice has been sent to the government for tomorrow.
“We cannot pass such an order without giving notice,” said Chief Justice of Pakistan Yahya Afridi. “At this juncture, the hurdle of objection to maintainability of the petition must be overcome,” Afridi told Khosa.
“Please note that their cases are pending in other courts,” he said, adding, “In our opinion, this case has become infructuous.”
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“It was an order dated August 24, 2023, against which the case had been filed,” the CJP said. “We cannot make any order regarding a meeting without notifying it. We have to see if the case has become infructuous or if it can still be pursued.”
The court ordered formation of a three-member bench to hear appeals against Khan’s acquittal in the cipher case. An order was also issued to form a three-member tribunal on the appeals against the acquittal of Shah Mahmood Qureshi in the cipher case.
Furthermore, Khan’s bail petition in the Al-Qadir Trust case was dismissed as unsuccessful. A two-member bench headed by Afridi heard the case.
Khosa requested that he be granted permission to meet his client, to which Afridi replied: “We will also decide on the meeting tomorrow.”
“We cannot make any decision without notifying the other party,” added the president of the Supreme Court. The court adjourned the hearing of the case until tomorrow.
In the Al-Qadir Trust case, the PTI founder’s bail cancellation request was dismissed as unsuccessful. Meanwhile, in the Toshakhana case, Imran Khan’s bail cancellation applications, along with that of Bushra Bibi, were also dismissed as infructuous.
In the May 9 incidents in Lahore, an order was issued to form a three-member tribunal on the bail cancellation requests of the PTI founder. The court adjourned for two weeks the hearing of bail cancellation applications in the Cipher case and the May 9 incidents.
Speaking to the media outside the court, Imran’s lawyer Salman Safdar said the CJP heard all the cases of the PTI founder, calling it “an indication that he is the worst example in Pakistan”.
“In all cases where Imran Khan was helped, the government filed appeals against him,” Safdar said. “The encryption was the most expensive trial in Pakistan. You have also seen what its outcome was.”
“There is a postponement in all ongoing cases,” he said. “Whenever I have gone to the Supreme Court of Pakistan, we have always received relief.”
“Our gatherings are restricted. But our cases are not even prepared for hearing,” Safdar said.
“If justice is not done in a judicial forum, then one can bypass that forum and go to a higher forum,” the lawyer said. “Until now we have never raised medical reasons in court,” he added.
“This in no way implies that we should ignore the health of the PTI founder. We have not sought bail on the pretext of medical reasons,” Safdar said.
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He expressed hope that the meeting would be held tomorrow and said, “My previous meeting also took place thanks to the Chief Justice.”
“Their meetings need to be arranged. Winter is over and Ramadan is approaching. The bail applications of Bushra Bibi and the PTI founder should be fixed for hearing. We have also requested a meeting with the Supreme Court.”
“Fifty cases are live. All those cases were before the Supreme Court in which the government had sought cancellation of bail.”
Concluding his remarks, Safdar said: “Do not treat the accused as the apple of your eye; hold everyone to the same level.”
