ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Supreme Court on Tuesday directed the Central and Punjabi governments to set up a video-link system for Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan, who is currently detained, so he can make his case in the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) amendment case.
Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa stated, “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 presentation of arguments via video link.”
The Chief Justice’s statements during the intra-court appeal hearing of the federal government against the 2023 ruling of the highest court nullifying certain NAB reforms. Khan declared that he intended to make his own claims in the case.
Under the leadership of Chief Justice Isa, the five members of the SC bigger bench are Justices Hasan Azhar Rizvi, Justice Hasan-ud-din Khan, Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail, and Justice Amin-ud-din Khan.
The hearing takes place today because in September 2023, the Supreme Court’s three-member bench granted the appeal of former prime minister Khan, which contested changes to the nation’s accountability laws adopted when the PDM-led government was in power.
Under the leadership of Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial at the time, together with Justices Mansoor Ali Shah and Ijazul Ahsan, the court convened over fifty hearings and, in a majority decision of 2-1, revived graft charges against public office holders that had been closed as a result of the modifications.
