ISLAMABAD/RAWALPINDI: Imran Khan Appears Before Supreme Court via Video Link in NAB Amendments Case
On Thursday, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan appeared before the Supreme Court via video link in the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) amendments case.
A five-member larger bench of the Supreme Court, led by Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa and including Justices Amin-ud-Din Khan, Jamal Khan Mandokhail, Athar Minallah, and Hasan Azhar Rizvi, heard the case concerning the intra-court appeals filed by the federal and provincial governments against the NAB amendments that had been overturned by the apex court.
The hearing was not live-streamed. Earlier, the Supreme Court had ordered arrangements for Khan’s video link appearance from Adiala Jail, as reported by Geo News. The jail administration informed Khan about the video link appearance, and a trial run was conducted by the court and jail staff.
Khan, who is incarcerated in Adiala Jail, expressed his desire to appear in person but was allowed to present his arguments via video link. His lawyers, Khawaja Haris and Intezar Panjutha, met with him in jail following the Supreme Court’s order.
Chief Justice Isa had previously stated that Khan could present his arguments via video link during future hearings. The bench is hearing the federal government’s appeal against the Supreme Court’s 2023 verdict, which annulled some NAB amendments.
Imran Khan has been in custody since August 2023, following his conviction in the Toshakhana case and subsequent convictions in other cases, including cypher and unlawful marriage, despite obtaining bail in some instances.
At the hearing, Chief Justice Isa inquired if the video link was established, to which Attorney General Mansoor Usman Awan confirmed. Khan appeared wearing a light blue shirt, and the government’s counsel, Makhdoom Ali Khan, began his arguments, ensuring they were audible to Khan via video link. The court also requested the Islamabad High Court’s verdict on the NAB amendments case, noting that the matter was pending there.
During the session, Chief Justice Isa questioned the prolonged duration of the NAB amendments case, which had 53 hearings. Makhdoom Ali Khan explained that the extensive time was due to detailed discussions on the case’s admissibility and various arguments presented.
The Supreme Court adjourned the case indefinitely and directed that arrangements for Khan’s video link appearance be ensured for the next hearing.
Background on NAB Amendments Case:
In September 2023, a three-member Supreme Court bench, led by then-Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial and including Justices Mansoor Ali Shah and Ijazul Ahsan, ruled on Imran Khan’s petition challenging amendments to the accountability laws made by the previous Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) government. The court’s 2-1 verdict reinstated graft cases against public office holders that had been closed following the amendments, affecting several prominent political figures, including Nawaz Sharif, Asif Ali Zardari, Yousuf Raza Gilani, Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, and Raja Pervez Ashraf.
The federal government subsequently filed an appeal against the Supreme Court’s decision.
