Imran Khan, the founder of PTI, has filed for acquittal in the 190 million-pound case after changes to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) amendments were upheld by the Supreme Court; the Supreme Court upheld recent changes to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) amendments.
During the hearing, Khan’s lawyer argued that the Supreme Court’s decision on the NAB amendments renders the 190 million-pound case invalid, as these amendments now protect all cabinet decisions. The defense questioned the Accountability Court’s jurisdiction over this matter in light of recent legal changes. Although Khan’s team did not directly challenge the court’s jurisdiction, it was noted that jurisdiction determination is reserved for the court itself.
Read: Accountability Courts to Send Back References to NAB After SC Verdict
The NAB prosecutor responded that the court’s jurisdiction is a prerequisite for hearing the acquittal petition. On the other hand, NAB’s legal representatives opposed the petition, arguing that the Supreme Court’s decision does not impact this particular case and that jurisdiction should have been contested prior to requesting acquittal. They also proposed that any previous acquittal petitions, including one from Bushra Bibi related to the same case, should be consolidated with Khan’s.
Read: Supreme Court Reinstates NAB Amendments, Rules Against Imran Khan
The court has since issued a notice to NAB regarding Khan’s acquittal petition and deferred further hearings until Tuesday, September 10. This legal activity follows closely on the heels of the Supreme Court’s decision, led by Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa, which restored the NAB amendments by a unanimous 5-0 vote, overturning a previous ruling that had annulled them. The Supreme Court’s decision articulated that Imran Khan had not substantiated the claim that the NAB amendments were unconstitutional.
