ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court Wednesday heard multiple cases involving the PTI founder Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi, including petitions seeking cancellation of bail, an appeal for suspension of conviction in Toshakhana case, cipher appeal case and appeals in a defamation matter. A three-member bench, headed by Justice Hashim Khan Kakar, conducted the hearing.
Justice Salahuddin Panhwar and Justice Ishtiaq Ibrahim were the other members of bench.
During the proceedings, the Punjab government withdrew three petitions seeking cancellation of bail of Imran and Bushra Bibi in cases related to the alleged misuse of authority in the acquisition of land. These cases had been registered in Lahore, Okara and Dera Ghazi Khan. The court disposed of the petitions accordingly.
The Punjab government also withdrew its appeals against the grant of bail in cases related to Zaman Park, which were similarly disposed of by the court.
During the hearing of cipher appeal case, the prosecutor general submitted that the detailed judgment had not yet been filed and requested time. Barrister Salman Safdar informed the court that he had not been issued a notice in the case.
The court observed that the maintainability of the appeal was yet to be determined and granted time for submission of detailed judgment, adjourning the matter indefinitely.
In the Toshakhana case, Imran’s counsel Latif Khosa argued that while the Islamabad High Court (IHC) had suspended the sentence, it had not suspended the conviction, thus barring his client from contesting elections.
Justice Kakar observed that if a sentence was suspended on an appeal, there should ordinarily be no obstacle to contesting elections. The court issued a notice to the Election Commission of Pakistan and sought its response. The next hearing date will be fixed later.
In the defamation case filed against Shehbaz Sharif, Imran’s counsel Mian Muhammad Hussain argued that defamation trials fell within the jurisdiction of a district and sessions court, whereas in this instance the trial had been conducted by an additional sessions court, whose jurisdiction had been challenged.
The court issued notices to the parties, including a notice to Mustafa Ramday, counsel for Shehbaz Sharif, and adjourned further hearing of the case.
