The Supreme Court of Pakistan reserved its verdict on Thursday in the high-profile National Accountability Bureau (NAB) amendments case, granting a week’s time for all parties to submit additional written arguments.
The case revolves around the federal and provincial governments’ appeals against a previous Supreme Court ruling. On September 15, 2023, a bench led by former Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial delivered a 2-1 majority judgment, which is now being contested. The September ruling responded to a petition by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan, who challenged the 2022 amendments to the NAB Ordinance made by the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) government.
Khan argued that these amendments would “virtually eliminate any white-collar crime committed by a public office holder.” The Supreme Court’s ruling on Khan’s appeal mandated that public officials, whose cases were dismissed due to the amendments, must once again face corruption references.
In October 2023, the government filed a petition against this majority judgment, claiming it suffered from procedural impropriety and should be set aside.
During the hearings, Imran Khan appeared before the five-member bench via video link from prison, alleging solitary confinement and poor conditions. However, the federal government submitted documentation to counter these claims, demonstrating that Khan was receiving numerous facilities.
The bench, led by Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa and comprising Justices Athar Minallah, Aminuddin Khan, Jamal Khan Mandokhail, and Hasan Azhar Rizvi, has now reserved its decision.
Government Provides Details of Facilities
In response to Khan’s claims, the government provided the court with comprehensive evidence, including photographs, detailing the amenities available to the former prime minister during his imprisonment. These amenities include an exercise bike, stretching belt, books, a separate kitchen, a special menu, an exclusive gallery for walking, an LED television, a room cooler, and a study table.
The detailed document submitted also listed the names of visitors Khan has received, revealing that he has held 105 meetings with at least 403 individuals over a period of 246 days, from September 28 to May 30, at Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail.
The Supreme Court’s impending decision is anticipated to have significant implications for the political and legal landscape of Pakistan.
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