Supreme Court to review Imran Khan's 365-page letter claiming rights violations

Pakistan's Chief Justice Yahya Afridi announced Tuesday that a letter from imprisoned former Prime Minister Imran Khan will be reviewed by the Supreme Court's constitutional committee under Article 184(3) of the Constitution.

The 365-page letter, addressed to Chief Justice Afridi and Justice Aminuddin Khan, head of the Supreme Court's Constitution bench, calls for investigations into alleged human rights violations, constitutional breaches, and electoral misconduct.

The announcement came during a media briefing following Afridi's meeting with an International Monetary Fund (IMF) delegation at the Supreme Court. The meeting, which lasted for an hour, was part of the IMF's broader Governance and Corruption Diagnostic Assessment (GCDA) mission currently visiting Pakistan.

The constitutional bench, formed last year under the contentious 26th Amendment to Pakistan's Constitution, will assess the letter's contents.

During the briefing, Afridi emphasized the judiciary's independence to the IMF delegation. "I informed them that we have taken an oath to uphold judicial independence under the Constitution," he said. "It is not our job to provide all the details, but I did share the agenda of the National Judicial Policy-Making Committee."

He further explained that he had informed the delegation about high courts' supervision of lower courts. "The delegation inquired about adherence to agreements and property rights, to which I responded that reforms are underway," he said.

The Chief Justice also mentioned that he had discussed with the IMF delegation the need for artificial intelligence (AI) in the judiciary. "We will provide recommendations, but the formation of special benches for expedited hearings will remain the responsibility of the high courts. I also informed them that the principles they are advocating should be applied reciprocally," he said.

The IMF mission, which will conclude its review on February 14, is assessing six core state functions, with a particular focus on addressing corruption risks.

Imran's letter sent to constitutional bench

Regarding letters received by the judiciary, the Chief Justice said, "I receive many letters, including one from Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. I recently conveyed my regards to the Prime Minister through the Attorney General and invited him to meet with his team."

He also revealed that making contact with the Leader of the Opposition had been a challenging task. "We have requested judicial reform agendas from both the government and the opposition," he added.

Regarding Imran Khan's letter, the Chief Justice clarified that it concerns Article 184(3) and has been referred to the constitutional committee for review. "The committee will decide on the matter, as it falls within the jurisdiction of the constitutional bench," he said.

When asked by a journalist about the criteria for referring Imran Khan's letter to the judicial committee and steps to address divisions within the judiciary, the Chief Justice responded, "These internal matters have existed for a long time. It will take time to resolve them, but things will gradually improve."