The Supreme Court of Pakistan is currently reviewing a plea submitted by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) against the arrest of its leader Imran Khan in the Al-Qadir Trust case.
The arrest has generated questions and concerns regarding the National Accountability Bureau’s (NAB) actions during the process.
The three-member bench overseeing the case includes Chief Justice of Pakistan Umar Ata Bandial, Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar, and Justice Athar Minallah. The latter questioned why the NAB took the law into its own hands to arrest Imran Khan, raising concerns about the legality of the arrest.
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Imran Khan’s lawyer, Hamid Khan, informed the court that the Rangers personnel violently arrested the former Prime Minister while he was getting his biometrics done as part of the judicial procedure. In addition, the lawyer maintained that Imran Khan was ill-treated during the arrest.
Chief Justice Bandial commented that the incident was a matter of respect for the judiciary and recalled a previous case involving NAB’s arrest of an accused from the Supreme Court parking lot. In that case, NAB returned the individual after the court took action against the bureau. The NAB had assured the court that no similar actions would be taken again.
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The Supreme Court focuses on reviewing the arrest warrant’s legality and compliance with legal procedures. Justice Minallah emphasized the importance of every accused individual’s right to justice.
PTI is seeking the release of Imran Khan, arguing that the arrest was not legally sound. However, the Supreme Court aims to issue a decision that will apply to every citizen, reinforcing the right of access to justice. The outcome of this case remains to be seen as the court continues its review.
