Lawyers believe that civil liberties cases are not being prioritized during CJP Yahya Afridi’s tenure
ISLAMABAD:
The Supreme Court will resolve contempt issues related to non-implementation of a court order allowing meetings with PTI founder Imran Khan in line with the court’s new case fixation policy.
A senior Supreme Court official told The Express Pakinomist that the contempt petition over denial of meetings with Khan, despite an Islamabad High Court order allowing them, would be listed under the court’s new policy.
Earlier, on May 20, PTI Secretary General Salman Akram Raja, a senior lawyer, called on the Chief Justice of Pakistan Yahya Afridi and urged the court to expedite the listing of cases involving Imran Khan.
Speaking to the media after the meeting, Raja said the chief justice had assured him that cases related to Khan would be scheduled for hearing soon after Eid.
In November last year, Raja filed a Supreme Court appeal against the Islamabad High Court’s dismissal of his contempt petition for failure to implement its March 24 order ordering prison authorities to allow meetings between Khan and his family members and lawyers.
It is learned that the contempt case is listed as number 60 on the Supreme Court’s case list, as the chief judge closely follows the court’s fixation policy, after which contempt cases are taken up in turn.
However, senior lawyers have expressed concern, noting that the case is of significant importance as it concerns the former prime minister, whose meetings with family members and lawyers have been almost completely restricted since December.
The government, on the other hand, claims that Imran Khan often holds meetings with his wife Bushra Bibi in Adiala jail.
Lawyers are of the view that cases involving civil liberties are not being prioritized during the tenure of Chief Justice of Pakistan Yahya Afridi.
Since the passage of the 26th Amendment, the PTI has struggled to secure relief in the superior courts, where key petitions involving its jailed founder and top leadership remain in limbo, exacerbating its legal and political uncertainty.
The party, whose founder and chief Imran Khan remains jailed, continues to approach the judiciary to hear his cases, but progress has been slow, with petitions in limbo across multiple forums.
Despite filing several petitions, the party could not get any relief from the Islamabad High Court.
Interestingly, the PTI is reluctant to approach the FCC despite the pendency of dozens of important constitutional petitions.
After the meeting between Chief Justice of Pakistan Yahya Afridi and Salman Akram Raja, the PTI had renewed hopes in the Supreme Court, but those hopes have since faded.
Political analysts suggest that meetings with Imran Khan can only be restored if he avoids criticizing the security establishment during interactions with family members in custody.
