Gandapur knocks on “wrong door” at SC to meet Imran Khan

ISLAMABAD: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur approached Supreme Court to be allowed to hold meeting with former Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan.

Gandapur contended that PTI leaders are not being allowed to meet with Imran Khan, currently incarcerated at Adiala Jail. PTI leader and counsel Latif Khosa and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Advocate General Shah Faisal also appeared in the court along with CM Gandapur.

They argued that there request to the Supreme Court is an ‘urgent issue’, as the provincial budget session of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly is going on. Khosa said that the request for permission to meet with Imran Khan should be heard urgently.

Justice Mansoor Ali Shah, responding to Latif Khosa, said that there is nothing that can be done on the judicial front in this case. “Apply to Chief Justice Yahya Afridi or the Supreme Court Registrar,” Justice Mansoor said, adding, “This is the best way, you will save time. You have knocked on the wrong door.”

Justice Mansoor also informed the PTI members that Chief Justice Yahya Afridi is the chairman of the Practice Procedure Committee, which means that he is in a better position to assist in this case.

CM Gandapur said that the budget approval process is going on in the assembly, with the debate going on regarding the budget and the provincial assembly session scheduled for today. “Party leader has a vision. Despite our repeated requests, we have not been allowed to meet him. PTI’s budget committee will [need to] meet Imran Khan,” he said, adding that Imran Khan had also written a letter to the Supreme Court in this regard. “Chief Justice Yahya Afridi had given very good remarks on the letter,” Gandapur said, “[But] no action was taken on the letter”.

Justice Mansoor replied that Chief Justice Afridi is in Lahore, reiterating that the PTI leaders need to approach the chief justice for their concerns.

On his way back from the Supreme Court, CM Gandapur spoke to media and said that if Imran Khan tells him to dissolve the provincial assembly today, he will do so immediately. Speaking on the budget approval, he added, “I understand Imran Khan’s thinking. The budget has been passed keeping that in sight.”

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