SC rejects PTI petition challenging high court verdict on Imran Khan’s arrest

The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) petitioned the Supreme Court on Wednesday, challenging the Islamabad High Court’s (IHC) ruling that party chief Imran Khan’s arrest by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) was “legal.”

The Supreme Court rejected the petition. The PTI Vice Chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi called an emergency meeting of the seven-member committee after Khan was taken into custody on Tuesday inside the IHC to assess the situation and come up with a comprehensive plan to ensure the safe and prompt release of the party chair.

The senior PTI official had made known the party’s intention to petition the Supreme Court. The petition was delivered by the legal team for the PTI, which is led by senior vice president Fawad Chaudhry. The petition submitted by Arshad Ali Chaudhary stated,

“Therefore, it is respectfully prayed that leave to appeal may please be granted against the impunged order 09-05-2023 passed by Hon’ble Islamabad High Court […] may be set-aside and further after hearing the parties the warrant dated 01-05-2023 issued by Chairman NAB may be declared void and further be directed to release the petitioner/accused forthwith in the interest of justice.” The petition was returned by the registrar’s office a few minutes after the party submitted it, though.

The registrar’s office stated that the PTI chief did not approach the relevant forum, adding that he could file an intra-court appeal.

It further stated that the petition did not have the signatures of the PTI chief.