Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf founder Imran Khan. Photo: File
ISLAMABAD:
The Supreme Court on Friday heard review petitions filed by the founder of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf in a Rs 10 billion damages suit over termination of his right of defence, with judges questioning the delay in filing a response to the claim.
A three-member bench headed by Justice Ayesha Malik heard the writ petitions. During the hearing, Justice Hashim Kakar noted that the court had repeatedly given time to the PTI founder to file a reply.
“The court had several times given time to the PTI founder to file a reply,” Justice Kakar observed, adding that the reply to the claim had been filed after four years. He asked whether even after such a delay the court should not have issued a strict order.
During the hearing, the court was informed that Rashid Hafeez, lawyer for Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, was currently in London. His assistant told the court he had requested that the matter be adjourned until next week.
Justice Malik said the court would hear the petitioner’s arguments for now and would hear the other side at the next hearing. Justice Ishtiaq Ibrahim observed that arguments should also be made while keeping in mind the scope of review jurisdiction.
Representing the PTI founder, Barrister Ali Zafar argued that the real issue was that the PTI founder had been injured and hospitalized, but the Supreme Court’s decision did not make any pronouncement on the point of injury.
The lawyer told the court that the civil court had ordered the PTI founder to submit an affidavit by November 8, 2022. However, an assassination attempt on the PTI founder took place on November 3, 2022.
He said the court had acknowledged during the November 8 and November 17, 2022 hearings that the PTI founder had been injured. However, on November 22, 2022, the court issued an order that revoked his right of defense. He argued that this was not a death penalty case where restoring the right to defense would create problems. He further submitted that lawyers were prevented from meeting the PTI founder at the hospital, adding that it was not possible to bring him out of the hospital to file a statement.
