Imran Khan likely to appear before SC via video link

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan is likely to appear before Supreme Court (SC) of Pakistan larger bench today (Thursday) via video link in the National Accountability (NAB) Ordinance 1999 amendment case.

A five-member SC bench headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa and also comprising Justice Aminuddin Khan, Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail, Justice Athar Minallah and Justice Hasan Azhar Rizvi will hear the case.

Arrangements have been made in light of the apex court’s orders directing the Centre and Punjab government to arrange a video link facility for the jailed PTI founder to allow him to present his arguments in the case.

“The PTI founder can present his arguments in the upcoming hearing via video link if he wishes to do so […] arrangements should be made for the presentation of arguments via video link,” Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa said on Tuesday.

The CJP’s remarks came during the hearing of the federal government’s intra-court appeal filed against the apex court’s 2023 verdict that annulled some of the NAB amendments.

Khan, incarcerated in Adiala Jail, wanted to appear in the apex court in person to present his arguments. However, the court allowed him to present his arguments via video link.

The PTI founder has been out of sight since August last year after he was arrested following a conviction in the Toshakhana case.

If appeared via video link, this will be Khan’s first virtual appearance in public in nearly 10 months.

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The Adiala Jail sources said arrangements regarding Khan’s video link appearance have been made on the apex court’s directives. However, it is up to the PTI founder if he appears before the bench or not. They added that the authorities would ensure Khan’s virtual appearance before the court.

It may be recalled that the PTI founder had challenged the amendments made to the National Accountability Ordinance (NAO) 1999 by the PDM government. Then chief justice Umar Ata Bandial-led bench ordered restoring all graft cases worth less than Rs500 million that were closed down against the political leaders belonging to the ruling coalition parties and public office-holders. The government challenged the verdict of Justice Bandial and the PTI founder wanted to present his arguments in the case.