Police officers walk past the Supreme Court of Pakistan building, in Islamabad, Pakistan April 6, 2022. REUTERS
ISLAMABAD:
The Supreme Court finally broke its silence and responded to the PTI’s memorandum in which the party urged the apex court to intervene to ensure that imprisoned PTI founder Imran Khan is regularly allowed to meet his family members, doctors and legal team.
“Concerns regarding access to the imprisoned PTI leader and provision of medical reports have once again been referred to the relevant executive authorities for proper consideration in accordance with law,” said a statement issued by the Supreme Court on Saturday.
The statement was issued a day after a delegation of opposition lawmakers submitted a memorandum to the Supreme Court registrar.
The SC statement revealed that to deal with such eventualities in future, the court has also issued standard operating procedures (SOPs) to engage aggrieved litigants.
The SOPs focus on ensuring accessibility, facilitation and provision of necessary amenities, including emergency medical coverage, without compromising institutional decorum, judicial functions or access rights of other litigants, it adds.
However, the SOPs have not yet been made public. A senior Supreme Court official said they would be shared once formally notified. Some of the lawyers, considered close to the executive, questioned the legal basis of these SOPs.
They said if the government was not satisfied, the SOPs could be challenged in the Federal Constitutional Court (FCC), where judges are appointed by the outgoing prime minister.
A senior PTI leader said things would become clearer once the SOPs are revised. He, however, maintained that it would be a success for the PTI if the development results in something substantial.
Another section of lawyers said that given the current government’s alleged disregard for court orders in cases related to PTI and its founder, there is little chance that these SOPs will prove effective in ensuring fair treatment.
Since May last year, the Supreme Court’s judgment granting civilians the right to appeal military court verdicts has yet to be implemented.
Similarly, court orders from the Islamabad High Court (IHC) directing that meetings with Imran Khan be facilitated in prison have not been complied with.
The Supreme Court statement, issued in response to the PTI memorandum, notes that a group of PTI-affiliated parliamentarians, including the Chief Minister of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, gathered in front of the Supreme Court on January 30, 2026 to raise concerns over access to their imprisoned leader.
“The Registrar of the Supreme Court of Pakistan spoke to their representatives and assured them that the concerns would be brought to the notice of the Honorable Chief Justice of Pakistan. “Later in the day, their lawyer, Salman Akram Raja, was granted an audience with the Chief Justice of Pakistan.
“During the interaction, concerns regarding access to the imprisoned PTI leader, including access of family members and medical professionals, were expressed.
“As the matter raised did not directly relate to ongoing proceedings before the Supreme Court, the concerns were referred to the relevant executive authorities for consideration in accordance with the law, after which the gathering dispersed peacefully.
“In the absence of a response received for a week, the delegation, comprising opposition leaders in the Senate and the National Assembly, again approached the Supreme Court on February 6, 2026, with a signed memorandum, which was formally received by the Registrar of the Supreme Court of Pakistan.”
“Concerns regarding access to the imprisoned PTI leader and provision of medical reports have once again been referred to the relevant executive authorities for proper consideration in accordance with the law,” the statement reiterated.
Since the passage of the 26th constitutional amendment, the PTI has found itself treading water in higher courts, struggling to secure substantial relief while key petitions related to its imprisoned founder and top leaders remain in limbo, deepening the party’s legal and political uncertainty.
The party, whose founder Imran Khan has been incarcerated for more than two years, continues to approach the courts for hearings into its cases. However, progress has been slow, with PTI petitions blocked in several legal forums.
In this context, Imran Khan’s senior lawyer Salman Safdar on Friday wrote to IHC Chief Justice Sardar Muhammad Sarfraz Dogar seeking early correction of the petition seeking suspension of sentences awarded to Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi in the Al-Qadir Trust case.
Explaining my reasons for contacting the court, the letter stated: “What prompted me to approach Your Lordship through this letter is the failure of the IHC to address the legitimate concern and fundamental right of the clients to have their applications for bail (suspension of sentence) fixed and heard in the criminal appeals arising out of NAB Reference No. 19/2023 (popularly known as Al-Qadir University Trust).
Advocate Asad Rahim Khan, commenting on this development, says a Rent and Family Court need not worry about SOPs. It should focus on digitizing files, or taking inventory of light bulbs and cookies, he adds.
