LAHORE: The Lahore High Court (LHC) has invalidated the physical remand of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan in 12 cases connected to the May 9 violence.
The LHC bench composed of Justice Tariq Saleem Sheikh and Justice Anwarul Haq issued the ruling on petitions filed by former PM Imran Khan against his physical remand in 12 cases related to the May 9 violence. During the hearing, Prosecutor General Punjab Farhad Ali Shah presented arguments.
Justice Sheikh remarked at one point, “Forcing the accused to undergo a photogrammetric test is not permissible.” Justice Anwar-ul-Haq commented, “When did the idea of switching to modern devices for investigation occur to you?”
The prosecutor general argued that the test facility was available only inside the jail, not outside, and denying the prosecution a full opportunity would be unjust. He mentioned that Imran Khan had constructed a specific narrative through his tweets, adding that recovering the mobile phones used for the tweets or WhatsApp messages required interrogating the suspect.
“How can you recover the mobile phone when the accused is in jail?” questioned Justice Haq.
After hearing the arguments, the high court declared Imran Khan’s physical remand in the 12 cases null and void. The court also invalidated the notification allowing the PTI founder’s attendance in the case via video link.