‘Unannounced martial law imposed in country’, Imran Khan tells top court

ISLAMABAD: Incarcerated Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan has complained of the “victimisation” that he faced since his ouster from power in April 2022 during the hearing of the NAB amendments case hearing in the Supreme Court.

The jailed PTI founder appeared before the Supreme Court’s five-member bench via video link from Rawalpindi’s Adiala jail, where has been incarcerated since his conviction in the Toshakhana case last year.

The SC bench headed by Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa and comprising Justice Aminuddin, Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail, Justice Athar Minallah and Justice Hasan Azhar Rizvi heard the case.

Presenting his arguments, Khan told the bench that unannounced “martial law” had been imposed in the country and he was convicted in a matter of five days to keep him from the general elections.

He also cited an example of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, saying the latter was released on bail ahead of the Indian general elections to run the campaign.

Khan also expressed dismay over the SC’s judgment rejecting Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s government plea requesting the live streaming of the case.

“You wrote [in the judgment] that I did political point scoring during the last hearing. I did not get it, what political scoring did I resort to,” the PTI founder asked the CJP.

At this, the CJP said a judge does not owe an explanation to anyone over the verdict. “You can file a review petition,” the top judge said in response to Khan’s question.

More to follow…