Police officers walk past the Supreme Court of Pakistan building in Islamabad, Pakistan April 6, 2022. REUTERS
ISLAMABAD:
The Supreme Court has finally broken its silence and responded to PTI’s memorandum in which the party urged the apex court to intervene to ensure that jailed PTI founder Imran Khan is allowed to meet his family members, doctors and legal team regularly.
“The concerns relating to access to the jailed PTI leader and the provision of medical reports were once again conveyed to the relevant executive authorities for appropriate consideration in accordance with law,” said a statement issued by the Supreme Court on Saturday.
The statement emerged a day after a delegation of opposition lawmakers submitted a memorandum to the Supreme Court registrar.
The SC statement revealed that to counter such eventualities in future, the court has also issued standard operating procedures (SOPs) to engage aggrieved litigants.
The SOPs emphasize ensuring accessibility, facilitation and provision of necessary facilities, including emergency medical coverage, without compromising institutional set-up, judicial functions or access rights of other litigants, it added.
However, the SOPs are yet to be published. A senior Supreme Court official said they would be shared once formally notified. A section of lawyers who are considered close to the executive have questioned the legal backing of these SOPs.
They said if the government is not satisfied, the SOPs can be challenged before the Federal Constitutional Court (FCC), where judges are appointed by the sitting prime minister.
A senior PTI leader said things would become clearer once the SOPs were reviewed. However, he maintained that it was a success for PTI if the development led to something significant.
Another section of lawyers said that given the current government’s alleged defiance of court orders in cases related to PTI and its founder, there is little chance that these SOPs will prove effective in ensuring fair treatment.
Since May last year, the Supreme Court ruling giving civilians the right to appeal military court sentences has not yet been implemented.
Similarly, court orders by the Islamabad High Court (IHC) directing that meetings with Imran Khan be facilitated in jail have not been complied with.
The Supreme Court statement, issued in response to the PTI’s memorandum, noted that a group of parliamentarians associated with the PTI, including the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister, gathered outside the Supreme Court on 30 January 2026 to register concerns regarding access to their jailed leader.
“The Registrar, Supreme Court of Pakistan, engaged with their representatives and assured them that the concerns would be taken to the Honorable Chief Justice of Pakistan. “Later in the day, their lawyer, Salman Akram Raja, was granted an audience by the Chief Justice of Pakistan.
“During the interaction, concerns related to access to the jailed PTI leader, including access for family members and doctors, were conveyed.
“Since the issue raised did not directly relate to a pending case in the Supreme Court, the concerns were referred to the relevant executive authorities for consideration in accordance with the law, after which the assembly dispersed peacefully.
“In the absence of any communicated response for a week, the delegation, including opposition leaders in the Senate and the National Assembly, again approached the Supreme Court on February 6, 2026 with a signed memorandum which was formally received by the Registrar, Supreme Court of Pakistan.”
“The concerns relating to access to the jailed PTI leader and the provision of medical reports were once again referred to the relevant executive authorities for appropriate consideration in accordance with the law,” the statement reiterated.
Since the passage of the 26th constitutional amendment, the PTI has found itself treading water in the superior courts, struggling to secure substantive relief as key petitions linked to its jailed founder and senior leadership remain in limbo, exacerbating the party’s legal and political uncertainty.
The party, whose founder Imran Khan has been jailed for over two years, continues to approach the judiciary to hear about his cases. However, progress has been slow, with PTI’s petitions stuck across multiple legal forums.
Against this background, Imran Khan’s lead lawyer, Salman Safdar, wrote to IHC Chief Justice Sardar Muhammad Sarfraz Dogar on Friday, seeking early fixation of the petition for stay of sentence awarded to Imran Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi, in the Al-Qadir Trust case.
Explaining the basis for approaching the court, the letter stated: “What has prompted me to approach your Lordship through this letter is the failure of the IHC to address the legitimate concern of the clients and fundamental right to have their applications for post-conviction bail (suspension of sentence) rectified and dealt with in the criminal appeals arising out of NAB Reference No.
Commenting on this development, Barrister Asad Rahim Khan says that a Tenancy and Family Court need not bother SOPs. It should concentrate on digitizing files or counting pears and crackers, he adds.
