ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan has requested the Supreme Court to dismiss the intra-court appeals in the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) amendment case as it is not about himself but in fact relates to the whole of the country.
“It is most respectfully prayed that the instant appeals be dismissed. Any other relief deemed fit and appropriate by this Court may also kindly be granted,” Khan said in his written submission to the apex court.
The PTI founder’s submission comes as the SC, last month, reserved its verdict on the federal and provincial governments’ pleas challenging the apex court’s September 15 majority 2-1 judegment, which was announced by a bench led by former chief justice Umar Ata Bandial.
In 2022, the Pakistan Democratic Movement government made amendments to the National Accountability (NAB) Ordinance which were challenged by Imran Khan in the top court.
The move comes as the incarcerated prime minister shares a rather contentious history with CJP Isa as it was his government that had filed a presidential reference against the incumbent chief justice in 2019 for allegedly owning properties abroad under his wife and children’s names and not mentioning them in his wealth statement.
The reference was challenged by the judge in the SC and subsequently, a 10-member larger bench headed by the then chief justice Umar Ata Bandial dismissed it.Later, Khan admitted that the filing of the presidential reference against CJP Isa was a “mistake”.
Moreover, the incumbent CJP has been part of various cases involving the former premier and his party has voiced concerns in this regard.A PTI spokesperson, as per The News, has complained of his party being deprived of justice and that even its petitions weren’t being taken up by the courts.
“The PTI core committee wants that CJP Isa should not sit on benches in our cases […] unfortunately, the kind of decisions that are being delivered are seen to be biased; the element of favouritism in case verdicts strengthens our demand,” he claimed.
In his four-page written submission, the PTI founder recalled Justice Athar Minallah’s remarks that the NAB amendments would benefit him, however, he said that this was not about personal gain but the greater good of our country and millions of Pakistanis who place their faith in a system that should serve them.
