The Supreme Court of Pakistan has dismissed the Punjab government’s appeal seeking the physical remand of former Prime Minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan. The court cited the significant delay—over 18 months since Khan’s arrest—as a primary reason for rejecting the request, stating that the remand is no longer applicable due to the passage of time .
During the hearing, the Punjab government’s counsel argued that physical remand was necessary to conduct photogrammetric analysis, polygraph testing, and voice matching. However, the bench, led by Justice Hashim Kakar, noted that no such requests had been made in the petition and questioned the justification for seeking remand after such a prolonged period .
The court also highlighted procedural concerns, pointing out that the initial remand was granted without Khan being physically present in court, as he attended the hearing via video link. This decision was later overturned by the High Court, which found the remand to be unjustified .
Dawn
While the Supreme Court has dismissed the current appeal, it indicated that the Punjab government could approach the trial court if it still seeks remand, though Khan’s legal team retains the right to oppose any such move
