During a Supreme Court hearing on Tuesday, Additional Attorney General (AAG) for Pakistan, Amir Rehman, confirmed that the government is serious about pursuing the contempt case against Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan. The case is related to the violation of court orders during the May 25, 2022, long march.
The hearing was conducted by a seven-member constitutional bench, led by Justice Aminuddin Khan, alongside Justices Jamal Khan Mandokhail, Muhammad Ali Mazhar, Syed Hasan Azhar Rizvi, Naeem Akhtar Afghan, and Shahid Bilal Hassan.
Justice Aminuddin questioned whether the government was truly committed to proceeding with the petition. Rehman affirmed the government’s intent to seek a serious hearing on the issue. He argued that Khan had breached a court order during the protest march on May 25, 2022.
Justice Aminuddin remarked that if the court issued a notice, Khan would be required to appear in person and directed the AAG to seek guidance on how to bring the incarcerated former prime minister to court.
Justice Mandokhail stressed that contempt cases are solely between the court and the accused, urging the parties to avoid emotional reactions as the court was providing a clear path forward.
Salman Akram Raja, PTI’s legal counsel, informed the court that his client had already submitted a response, claiming the court’s verbal order had not reached Khan due to mobile service disruptions, which hindered communication.
Justice Hilali asked whether a notice had been served to Khan, to which Raja clarified that the response was filed only after receiving the notice.
The bench then adjourned the hearing indefinitely.
In a separate case, the court adjourned proceedings on the trial of civilians in military courts, as Khawaja Haris, the Ministry of Defence’s counsel, was unavailable due to illness. The hearing was postponed until Thursday. Justice Aminuddin also advised Latif Khosa to focus on the ongoing case and refrain from deviating from the matter.
