Imran appears before SC via video link

NAB amendments case
ISLAMABAD/RAWALPINDI
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan Thursday appeared before the Supreme Court via video link in the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) amendments case.
A five-member SC larger bench — headed by Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa and comprising Justice Amin-ud-Din Khan, Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail, Justice Athar Minallah and Justice Hasan Azhar Rizvi — heard the case on the intra-court appeals filed by the federal and provincial governments against the NAB amendments struck down by the apex court.
The hearing of the case was not live streamed today.
Earlier today, on the orders of the Supreme Court, arrangements were completed at the Adiala Jail for the appearance of PTI founder, Geo News reported citing jail sources.
The sources said the Adiala jail administration had apprised the PTI founder about his appearance through video link. The staff of the top court and jail authorities did a trial run of the video link before Khan’s appearance, they added.
Khan’s appearance in court via video link
Khan, incarcerated in Adiala jail, wanted to appear in the top court in person to present his arguments after which the court allowed him to defend himself via video link.
A day ago, his lawyers Khawaja Haris and Intezar Panjutha held a short meeting with Khan in jail following the SC’s order.
“The PTI founder can present his arguments in the upcoming hearing via video link if he wishes to do so […] arrangements should be made for the presentation of arguments via video link,” Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa had said Tuesday.
He remarked this during hearing of the federal government’s intra-court appeal against the SC’s 2023 verdict that annulled some of the NAB amendments. This case was also being heard by the aforementioned bench.
The ex-premier has been out of sight since August 2023 after he was nabbed following a conviction in the Toshakhana case.
After being arrested, the PTI founder was found guilty in several cases, including cypher and unlawful marriage, he remained imprisoned even though he had obtained bail in some of the cases.