Pakistan’s Punjab government withdrew on Wednesday all appeals in the Supreme Court challenging the bail granted to former prime minister Imran Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi, in multiple cases.
The Supreme Court, presided over by Justice Muhammad Hashim Kakar, had been hearing petitions against lower court rulings in the Toshakhana case and the May 9, 2023, unrest cases, which had allowed the former prime minister and his spouse to remain free while facing ongoing investigations.
During the hearing, the Punjab government’s prosecutor told the bench that he had instructions not to pursue the appeals and requested permission to withdraw all pending petitions. The court accepted the request and dismissed the appeals as withdrawn.
Multiple cases under review
Following the withdrawal, the Supreme Court proceeded with hearings on several prominent cases involving Khan, including the Toshakhana case, the cipher case, and a defamation matter.
Khan, a former cricket star who founded the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) political party, has faced multiple legal challenges since being ousted from office in 2022.
Toshakhana case hearing
In the Toshakhana case, which involves allegations of misuse of gifts and state property received during his premiership, Khan’s lawyer Latif Khosa argued that a two-member bench of the Islamabad High Court had suspended his client’s three-year prison sentence.
However, Khosa said, the conviction itself remained in effect, preventing Khan from contesting elections despite the suspension. Justice Kakar questioned whether the appeal against the conviction had been decided, to which Khosa replied that it was still pending.
The judge noted that suspension of a sentence typically allows a person to remain free and should not bar election participation.
Meeting request denied
Khosa also requested permission to meet Khan in person during the hearing. The bench denied the request, with Justice Kakar emphasizing that the court could not direct such meetings in a criminal matter not formally before it.
Justice Salahuddin Panhwar added that political concerns should be addressed in Parliament rather than in the courtroom. The court subsequently issued a notice to the Election Commission of Pakistan and adjourned the hearing indefinitely.
At one point, Justice Kakar humorously remarked that the relief Khan had received - the suspension of sentence - was exactly what the high court had granted.
When Khosa cited a 2019 Supreme Court ruling to support his argument, the judge pointed out that the precedent involved suspension of both conviction and sentence, meaning it did not support Khan’s case.
Other proceedings and attendance
Due to space and ventilation concerns, hearings were shifted to Courtroom No. 2. Several political figures, including members of parliament and legal experts, attended, along with Khan’s sisters.
Prior to the hearing, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur met with Khan’s family to discuss his health, legal matters and related issues.
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