The constitutional bench (CB) of the Supreme Court (SC) on Thursday referred the contempt of court case against former prime minister and PTI founder Imran Khan to a regular bench. During the hearing, Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhel asked, “Is not the regular bench supposed to hear the case?” Concurring with Justice Mandokhel, Salman Akram Raja, counsel for the former prime minister, said there was no constitutional matter in this case. “It would be better if you sent it to a regular bench.” 

Speaking on the occasion, the additional attorney general said that in the reserved seats case also, the court had forwarded the contempt case to a regular bench. “Therefore, the court better refer it to a regular bench.” In its petition filed against Imran in June 2022 for allegedly violating court orders by extending the long march route four kilometers beyond the designated area to Jinnah Avenue, the government had contended that the participants in the long march blocked roads, causing hardships to citizens.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP)