ISLAMABAD: Former prime minister Imran Khan said on Monday that the government wants to set up a constitutional court to bypass the Supreme Court.

Talking to the reporters after attending the new Toshakhana case proceedings in the Adiala Jail, Mr Khan claimed that the government is setting up the court since it is “unhappy with the Supreme Court”.

The proposed constitutional amendments were introduced to “prolong my incarceration”, he said, adding that the provisions would be detrimental to the country’s future.

The former PM said the government wants to “destroy the judiciary” by keeping the incumbent chief justice in the office to “conceal the election fraud”.

Says move aimed at bypassing apex court; judge orders FIA to submit report in new Toshakhana case

The government fears that a transparent probe into the alleged malpractices during the February 8 general election would “badly expose them”.

Mr Khan said he was standing with judges and journalists and urged the public to stand for their rights and to save the judiciary.

He claimed that the ruling coalition protected their “billions of rupees” by amending the National Accountability Ordin­ance 1999 and that those who had introduced these amendments had stashed their money abroad.

It is important to note that even though Mr Khan railed against the amendments — recently restored by the Supreme Court — his legal team has moved an application in an accountability court seeking his acquittal in the £190 million case on grounds that the amended law protected the decisions taken by the federal cabinet.

During his media talk, the former prime minister also claimed that during the last six months, 4,000 Pakistani companies have been registered in Dubai, adding that the incumbent interior minister’s spouse owns $500m worth of properties in the UAE.

Court proceedings

Earlier, the Special Court of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) initiated the proceedings in the new Toshakhana reference against Mr Khan and his spouse Bushra Bibi.

Special Judge Central Shahrukh Arjumand heard the case inside the Adiala Jail, where Mr Khan is incarcerated.

The judge ordered the investigation officer to submit a report on the next date of hearing.

Special prosecutors Syed Zulfiqar Abbas Naqvi and Umair Majeed appeared on behalf of the FIA, while Barrister Salman Safdar represented Mr Khan.

Further hearing of the case has been adjourned till September 23.

IHC removes objections

Meanwhile, the Islamabad High Court has removed objections to the petition of Mr Khan and his spouse for an early decision on their post-arrest bail in the new Toshakhana reference. The couple had filed the petitions last month.

Published in Dawn, September 17th, 2024