The Supreme Court session on Thursday regarding alterations to accountability laws proved anticlimactic as former Prime Minister Imran Khan had joined via video link but was unable to address the court as a petitioner in the case.
Earlier, the Supreme Court had reconvened to deliberate on amendments to accountability laws, with former Prime Minister Imran Khan participating via video link as a petitioner.
The development followed the apex court’s directive on Tuesday, mandating the federal and Punjab governments to enable Khan’s virtual appearance from Adiala jail. Justice Athar Minallah, part of the five-judge bench presiding over the case, emphasised the court’s obligation to grant an audience to the ex-premier.
Chaired by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa and comprising Justices Aminuddin Khan, Jamal Khan Mandokhail, Athar Minallah, and Hasan Azhar Rizvi, the bench reconvened today for further deliberations.
Imran Khan, attired in blue, appeared via video link. The PTI also shared a snapshot of the purported video call, depicting him in a light-blue shirt, appearing disinterested as he rested his face on his hand.
Unlike the previous session, today’s hearing was not broadcast live. If aired, this would have marked Khan’s first public appearance since his arrest last year, although Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar expressed reservations about the court’s directives.
Recently, the Islamabad High Court granted bail to the former premier in a £190 million case and acquitted him in a 2022 case linked to the Azadi March.
Meanwhile, PTI spokesperson Raoof Hasan voiced concerns about a visitors’ ban in Adiala jail, alleging it aimed to obstruct Khan’s participation in the court proceedings.
During today’s hearing, senior counsel Khawaja Haris, previously representing Imran, offered legal assistance. Makhdoom Ali Khan represented the federal government.
As proceedings commenced, CJP Isa expressed disappointment over Haris’s absence, urging him to present his arguments loudly for Khan’s benefit. The government’s counsel informed the court about the pending NAB amendment case before the Islamabad High Court (IHC).
Questions arose regarding the objections raised by the registrar’s office on Khan’s plea and the duration of the case, prompting reflections on the legislative process of NAB laws in 1999.
The extended proceedings of the NAB laws case, amendments made in 2022, and Khan’s petition against these changes were discussed.