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The Islamabad High Court registrar's office has raised objections on petition filed by former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan in the Islamabad High Court (IHC) to stop his potential military trial in connection with the May 9 cases, Geo News reported.
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan's plea filed under Article 199 of the Constitution comes amid speculations about his military trial in a military court. The IHC registrar's office questioned how the petitioner seeks relief without mentioning any specific first information report (FIR). It mentioned that no documentation or order has been attached to the petition. The registrar's office asked how can the petitions be filed in the Islamabad High Court when cases have been filed in Punjab. Furthermore, the IHC registrar's office questioned on how the petition can be filed in a high court while the matter of military trials is subjudice in the Supreme Court, according to Geo News report. Speaking to reporters, Imran Khan's lawyer Intezar Panjutha said that they talked to the PTI founder regarding his plea in the IHC. "Nothing is more crucial that an ex-prime minister is being dragged to a military court. How can the leader of a popular political party be taken to a military court," Panjutha quoted PTI founder as saying. Panjutha further stated that a civilian cannot be tried in a military court in the light of a Supreme Court verdict. Last week, Pakistan's Federal Minister for Law and Justice Senator Azam Nazeer Tarar said that if needed, the Punjab government would take decision on referring the PTI founder's case to a military court. In an informal talk with reporters on August 29, Tarar said, "The prosecution of May 9 cases is being done by the Punjab government and the provincial government will decide to refer the case to a military court," Geo News reported, citing The News International. Earlier in August, Pakistan Defence Minister Khawaja Asif hinted at the possibility of Imran Khan's trial in military court for the May 9 riots. Asif made the remarks in response to former Pakistan PM Imran Khan's demand for an "open trial" of former Inter-Services Intelligence chief (retd) Faiz Hamid. Violent protests erupted in Pakistan after Imran Khan was arrested from the premises of Islamabad High Court in a graft case on May 9, 2023. During the protests, the alleged PTI supporters vandalised military installations including General Headquarters in Rawalpindi and were involved in arson at the Lahore Corps Commander House. In December 2021, the supreme court in a 5:1 majority verdict suspended its October 23, 2023 order wherein it declared civilians' trials in military courts null and void in connection with the May 9 riots, Geo News reported. The court's verdict came after intra-court appeals were filed by the federal and provincial governments and the defence ministry against the top court's decision announced by Justice Ijazul Ahsan-led bench earlier that year. According to the order issued on December 13, the military court trials would be conditioned on the Supreme Court's final verdict on the intra-court pleas. (ANI)
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