ISLAMABAD: The PDM-led government was taken by surprise when the Islamabad High Court (IHC) granted Imran Khan extraordinary relief.
Therefore, experts feel that Imran has won this round of his conflict with influential circles with the support of superior judiciary.
According to one political analyst, the security establishment and the civil government, which is already unpopular with the populace due to inflation, took a major hit when the superior courts stepped in to save Imran in difficult circumstances.
As a first measure of relief, the Supreme Court, presided over by Chief Justice of Pakistan Umar Ata Bandial, ruled that Imran could not be arrested in the premises of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on May 1, 2023, despite an arrest warrant issued by the chairman of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) in the Al-Qadir Trust case on that date.
The IHC, like every other court in the country, was affected by the bench’s treatment of Imran during the hearing.
The government officials have also complained about CJP Bandial’s overly friendly treatment of Imran.
Depending on who you ask, the conclusion of the SC hearings might be the IHC issuing decisions in Imran’s favor or nothing at all.
Criminal cases filed against Imran on or after May 9 or MPO etc. would not result in his arrest, the IHC said.
However, there are a number of other compelling arguments for providing Imran with exceptional respite.
First, during the past four years, the IHC has been widely recognized for providing relief in cases involving civil liberties.
Some legal professionals believe that the government botched the arrest of Imran.
A previous chief justice of Pakistan was manhandled by police on the street, and one lawyer cites this instance as an example.
As a result of what happened, the country’s judges banded together to oppose the government of General (ret.) Pervez Musharraf.
Law enforcement officials similarly detained Imran on IHC property without first obtaining the registrar’s approval.
It’s possible that Imran’s detention from within the courthouse on Friday led to the favorable IHC ruling he received that day.
The comments made by the IHC judges further indicate that they were obviously angered by the way in which Rangers disrespected the court’s sanctity and dignity.
A lawyer for Imran claims that the IHC justices were sending a message to those who disrespected the court on Friday by ruling in his favor.
In the Toshakhana case, even the chief justice of the IHC, Aamer Farooq, halted the trial court proceedings against Imran.
The two judges’ judicial order in the Tyrian White case was posted earlier on the IHC website.
The PDM leadership has decided to protest the SC led by CJP Bandial on Monday, notwithstanding the directives from the IHC.
Analysts say the demonstration is meant to compel the Supreme Court into taking action on the election violations that have been plaguing the country since April 4.
Senior PTI leaders are also concerned about Imran’s anti-establishment stance, notably his statement against the current army chief, according to sources quoted by The Express Tribune.
It has been learned that Imran has curtailed the opportunity for senior leadership to weigh in on these matters.
Imran’s request that the dialogue team withdraw if the government does not dissolve the National Assembly by May 14 shocked even the most senior party officials.
In the first week of July, even the government was on board with the idea of dissolving the parliament.
It’s a win for mob violence and arson and a loss for law and order, according to Prime Minister’s Special Assistant Jawad Malik.
The properties and persons of the state and establishment were flagrantly attacked. He goes on to say that the quick release of Imran Khan supports the PDM claim that the judiciary is biased.
Expert attorneys say it’s still early in the game.
If the Supreme Court intervenes to postpone the Punjab Assembly elections, the PDM administration and the establishment would not have been vanquished.
