Supreme Court fixes hearing date for PTI founder’s six cases

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court of Pakistan has scheduled hearings for six cases involving Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan on February 18, ARY News reported.

In addition, cases involving Bushra Bibi and Shah Mahmood Qureshi have also been set for hearing on the same date, with one case each.

A three-member bench, headed by Justice Muhammad Hashim Kakar, will preside over the hearings. The bench will also include Justice Salahuddin Panhwar and Justice Ishtiaq Ibrahim.

The cases scheduled for February 18 include appeals against the Islamabad High Court’s decision to suspend the sentence in the Toshakhana criminal case, as well as appeals filed by the Punjab government challenging the bail of PTI founder Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi.

Furthermore, appeals regarding the acquittal of Imran Khan and Shah Mahmood Qureshi in the “internal interference” allegation case are also on the list. Appeals against the PTI founder’s bail in the May 9 Lahore cases will also be heard, along with defamation appeals filed by Imran Khan against Shehbaz Sharif.

The three-member bench was formed following directions by Chief Justice Yahya Afridi on February 9 to handle these matters collectively.

Salman Safdar’s Report On Imran Khan

In other news, Barrister Salman Safdar submitted a report to the Supreme Court on the health of PTI founder Imran Khan, which was made public. The report recommended that an immediate eye examination be conducted for the party’s founder.

“Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan has demanded examination of his eyes by Dr. Faisal Sultan and Asim Yousuf,” a detailed report of seven pages submitted by Salman Safdar to the court read.

It has been recommended in the report that the PTI founder’s eyes could also been examined by an expert ophthalmologist.

The lawyer also recommended providing books to the party’s founder due to his solitary confinement and lack of access to a television set.

“His treatment was started after a sudden and complete loss of his sight of the right eye,” according to the report. “PTI founder has said that he could only see 10 to 15 percent”.

“The jail officials didn’t take it seriously when the eyesight issue of the PTI leader started during the last three months,” the report read. “They didn’t try to address the health condition”, Barrister Salman Safdar said in his report to the court.

“His eyesight of both eyes was normal, three to four months ago,” the PTI leader told the visiting lawyer. “He felt blurredness of eyes later and he repeatedly complained to the Jail Superintendent Abdul Ghafoor Anjum,” according to the report.

“The jail officials didn’t take any step to address the complaint, the right eyesight went off completely,” report read.

“Later, the PIMS ophthalmologist Dr Muhammad Arif, examined his eyes. The eyesight of his right eye remained only up to 15 percent,” Salman Safdar said in his report.

It is worth noting that the Supreme Court had ordered arrangements for Salman Safdar to meet the PTI founder in jail. The court granted Barrister Salman Safdar permission to meet him and appointed him ‘a friend of the court’.

The court directed Barrister Safdar to visit Adiala Jail in his capacity as a judicial representative and commissioner. He was instructed to submit a detailed written report regarding Imran Khan’s current condition in custody, the facilities available to him, and his living conditions inside the prison.

The Chief Justice issued clear instructions that Safdar should not be made to wait outside the jail and that no obstacles should be placed in the way of the meeting. In case of any difficulty, he was directed to immediately contact the Chief Justice’s personal staff officer.