In a significant legal development, the Lahore High Court (LHC) on Thursday nullified the physical remand of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan in connection with the May 9 cases.*
A two-member bench comprising Justice Tariq Saleem Sheikh and Justice Anwar-ul-Haq Pannu delivered the verdict, which was reserved after hearing petitions challenging the former prime minister’s physical remand.
The high court’s ruling also voided the notification mandating Khan’s appearance via video link. During the proceedings, Justice Saleem emphasized that a suspect cannot be coerced into undergoing a photogrammetry test. Justice Pannu, meanwhile, questioned the rationale behind the sudden shift towards using modern devices in the investigation.
Prosecutor General Punjab Farhad Ali Shah argued that the photogrammetry test could be conducted within the jail facilities, insisting it was necessary for the prosecution to have a “full chance” to present its case. “At the end, the prosecution is blamed that it failed,” Shah added, highlighting the challenges faced in investigating the matter without access to critical evidence, such as the suspect’s mobile phone, which allegedly contained incriminating tweets and WhatsApp messages.
Justice Pannu countered by questioning the feasibility of recovering the mobile phone while the suspect remains incarcerated.
Khan had petitioned against the anti-terrorism court’s (ATC) decision, asserting that it did not properly assess the records when granting his physical remand to the police. Last week, the ATC in Lahore had approved a 10-day physical remand for Khan in 12 cases related to the May 9 riots. These included five cases from the Sarwar Road police station, three from the Gulberg police station, and one each from the Race Course, Shadman, Mughalpura, and Model Town police stations.
Today’s ruling by the LHC marks a critical juncture in the ongoing legal battles surrounding Imran Khan, with significant implications for the prosecution’s case and the broader political landscape in Pakistan.
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