Pakistan’s Supreme Court has not transferred Imran Khan case files to Constitutional Court — The Express Tribune
In Pakistan, the Supreme Court has still not transferred the case files of PTI founder Imran Khan to the Federal Constitutional Court, despite that court’s request to provide them for review. Due to a dispute over the powers of the country’s two highest courts, the issue of implementing the order to transfer Khan from prison to Shifa International Hospital has also not been resolved, The Express Tribune reports.
On September 14, the Federal Constitutional Court raised the issue of the Supreme Court’s August 18 order directing the government to transfer Khan to hospital for treatment. At the same time, neither the Constitutional Court nor the Supreme Court has yet scheduled a hearing in the case.
Hearing postponed for three weeks
On September 16, a three-judge Supreme Court bench chaired by Justice Shahid Waheed postponed the hearing for three weeks at the request of Pakistan’s Attorney General Mansoor Awan. The publication notes that a hearing is unlikely to be scheduled next week, as Justice Waheed will hear other cases on the Supreme Court’s Lahore registry.
More current news is available on the UA.News Telegram channel Telegram.
A government official who spoke to the publication said that, according to Imran Khan’s latest medical report, he is physically healthy. According to him, the document will be submitted to the relevant court before a hearing is scheduled.
Differences over the courts’ powers
The Supreme Court acknowledged that the Federal Constitutional Court may call for case records under Article 175 E(5) of the Constitution. At the same time, the judges questioned whether this provision allows it to request documents specifically from the Supreme Court and simultaneously order cases to be scheduled for hearing.
Justice Naeem Akhtar Afghan noted that Article 175 E(5) does not explicitly mention calling for cases from the Supreme Court. Justice Shahid Waheed stressed that the bench cannot ignore the Constitutional Court’s order, but also questioned whether it is binding on the Supreme Court. Following the incomplete implementation of the August 18 order, applicant Uzma Khan filed a petition seeking contempt of court proceedings against Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and other officials.
