Imran Khan, founder of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf. Photo: File
ISLAMABAD:
The Supreme Court on Friday heard review petitions filed by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf founder in a Rs 10 billion damages case over termination of his defense rights, with judges questioning the delay in submitting a response to the petition.
A three-member bench headed by Justice Ayesha Malik heard the review petitions. During the hearing, Justice Hashim Kakar noted that the court had repeatedly given the PTI founder time to submit a response.
“The court has repeatedly given the PTI founder time to file a reply,” Justice Kakar observed, adding that the response to the complaint was submitted after four years. He asks whether, even after such a delay, the court should not have issued a strict order.
During the hearing, the court was informed that Rashid Hafeez, lawyer of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, was currently in London. His assistant told the court he had asked for the case to be adjourned until next week.
Justice Malik said the court would hear the petitioner’s arguments for the time being and would hear the other side in the next hearing. Justice Ishtiaq Ibrahim observed that arguments should also be presented while keeping in mind the scope of supervisory jurisdiction.
Representing the PTI founder, lawyer Ali Zafar argued that the real issue was that the PTI founder was injured and hospitalized, but the Supreme Court ruling did not give any opinion on the injury.
The lawyer told the court that the civil court had ordered the PTI founder to submit an affidavit by November 8, 2022. However, an assassination attempt on the PTI founder took place on November 3, 2022.
He said the court recognized during the hearings on November 8 and 17, 2022 that the PTI founder had been injured. However, on November 22, 2022, the court issued an order terminating his defense rights. He argued that this was not a death penalty case in which the restoration of defense rights would create problems. He further claimed that the lawyers were not allowed to meet the PTI founder at the hospital, adding that it was not possible to take him out of the hospital to file an affidavit.
