Supreme Court rejects plea seeking immediate meeting with PTI founder

Islamabad: The Supreme Court on Monday rejected a petition seeking permission for an immediate meeting with Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder and former prime minister Imran Khan, ARY News reported.

A two-judge bench comprising Chief Justice of Pakistan Yahya Afridi and Justice Shahid Bilal Hassan heard 13 petitions related to Imran Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi.

During the hearing, the bench dismissed the petition for a meeting with Imran Khan, filed by senior PTI leader Latif Khosa. The SC observed that such an order could not be passed without first issuing notice to the government.

Chief Justice Afridi said the petition must overcome objections regarding maintainability before any relief could be granted.

The Supreme Court subsequently issued a notice to the government for Tuesday to respond to the matter.

Chief Justice Afridi noted that the matter pertained to an order dated August 24, 2023, and observed that the case was no longer maintainable.

The apex court also took up the government’s petitions challenging the acquittal of Imran Khan and former foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi in the cipher case. The SC ordered the formation of a three-judge bench to hear the appeals.

In addition, the court heard Imran Khan’s appeals related to the Official Secrets Act case and the National Accountability Bureau reference concerning the Al-Qadir University Trust.

However, the Supreme Court dismissed Imran Khan’s bail plea in the Al-Qadir Trust case, declaring it infructuous.

Earlier, an Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) in Rawalpindi rejected a petition filed by PTI seeking permission for Imran Khan to be examined by his personal doctors at Adyala Jail.

The plea, filed by the PTI founder’s legal team, sought access for Dr Asim Yousaf, Dr Khurram Mirza and Dr Samina Niazi to conduct a medical examination.

The case was heard by ATC Judge Amjad Ali Shah. During the proceedings, Special Public Prosecutor Zaheer Shah opposed the petition, arguing that Imran Khan was not an under-trial prisoner but an accused in the May 9 GHQ attack case and currently on bail.