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Pakistan's Supreme Court will hear a contempt petition filed by Uzma Khan, sister of incarcerated former Pakistan Prime Minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan, on September 16 after the apex court registrar's office rejected her request for an early hearing, The Express Tribune reported.
Uzma had sought contempt proceedings against the Pakistan government over the alleged non-implementation of the Supreme Court's August 18 order directing that Imran Khan be transferred from Adiala Jail to Shifa International Hospital. The registrar's office ordered that the contempt petition be fixed for hearing on September 16 along with the main case in which the August 18 directions were issued. A three-member bench comprising Justice Shahid Waheed, Justice Naeem Akhtar Afghan and Justice Ishtiaq Ibrahim will hear the matter, according to The Express Tribune. According to the registrar's order on Uzma's early hearing application, 94 criminal original petitions of the same category were already pending before the court, excluding her petition, which was filed last. "Fixation policy requires fixation of case on their turn in relevant category, and it is unlikely that its turn may reach nearer," the order said. However, it added that since the main case in which the August 18 order was passed was pending and had already been fixed for September 16, Uzma's contempt petition could also be fixed on the same date along with the relevant main case. Earlier on Tuesday, the registrar's office had raised objections to the contempt petition, which were subsequently removed the same day. Uzma then filed an application seeking early fixation of the contempt petition during the current week, arguing that Imran Khan's health was deteriorating and that further delay could cause irreparable loss. The application alleged that the Pakistan government had disobeyed the Supreme Court's August 18 order directing that Imran be shifted from Adiala Jail to Shifa International Hospital within two days. It maintained that if the government required any clarification regarding the order, it should have approached the court instead of deviating from its directions. The application further argued that in the absence of a stay order, there was no justification for withholding implementation of the court's order or seeking a review of its compliance. The contempt petition will now be listed with the main case on September 16, The Express Tribune reported. The development came as PTI lawyers continued efforts to secure an early hearing. PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Khan and senior lawyer Sardar Latif Khosa had earlier sought a meeting with Chief Justice of Pakistan Yahya Afridi for early fixation of the contempt petition but could not meet him. They subsequently met the Supreme Court registrar. Gohar is likely to meet the chief justice on Thursday, according to sources. Speaking to the media outside the Supreme Court, Gohar said the PTI wanted the August 18 order to be implemented and had requested an early hearing of the contempt petition. "We want the same bench to be constituted today so that the case can be heard on Thursday," he had said. He also stressed the importance of Imran Khan's health and called for meetings between the former Pakistan Prime Minister and his family members. Meanwhile, the Pakistan government has filed a review petition challenging the Supreme Court's August 18 order directing Imran's transfer to a private hospital, saying the direction was "discriminatory in nature". The government has expressed serious reservations over shifting Imran to a private hospital and has sought modification of the order, The Express Tribune reported. The September 16 hearing will therefore bring both the original proceedings concerning the former Pakistan PM's health and the alleged non-implementation of the August 18 order before the same three-member bench. (ANI)
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