Shahzeb Khanzada highlighted the significance of the Saifur Rehman case in comparison to the Toshakhana case, stating that the latter could pose a bigger issue for PTI Chairman Imran Khan than the Saifur Rehman case.
Senior analyst Saleem Safi commented that Nawaz Sharif’s absence is due to the judiciary rather than the establishment, pointing out that certain judges within the judiciary are responsible for this situation. He claimed not to see any tension between the establishment and the PML-N.
Investigative journalist Azaz Syed shared that according to the FIA team, Saifur Rehman’s case wasn’t classified, implying that there might be political affiliations behind the scenes in the sugar mills case. Senior journalist Shahbaz Rana added that the majority of sugar mills have some sort of political or group associations.
Shahzeb Khanzada, the host, further stated that while Saifur Rehman’s case is causing hindrances in the release of PTI Chairman, a more substantial issue could arise from the Toshakhana case. He also mentioned that Imran Khan’s judicial remand has been extended by another fourteen days.
He continued by emphasizing that the legal objection raised over Chairman PTI’s initial judicial remand remains, questioning how the court approved his judicial remand in his absence. The hearing of Saifur Rehman’s case against Chairman PTI was postponed in Adiala Jail due to security reasons, leading to Chief Justice of a special court, Abu al-Hassanat Muhammad Azhar Nazir, conducting the hearing through a video link.
Initially, the PTI team was denied permission to enter the jail, with only one lawyer allowed. However, upon insistence, permission was granted to the entire legal team. During the proceedings, Chairman PTI was brought before the court, and his attendance was marked. Subsequently, his judicial remand was extended by fourteen days. The legal team filed a post-arrest bail application.
Chairman PTI’s lawyer proposed that the Saifur Rehman case be presented in the open court. He argued that no official secrets act case has been filed against Chairman PTI, and the Saifur Rehman case was created due to political revenge. They also sought the case’s designation as ‘blacklisted.’
In response to Chairman PTI’s post-arrest bail request, the court issued notices and demanded evidence from both sides by September 2. However, a notification challenging the decision to hold the Saifur Rehman case’s hearing in Adiala Jail and Chief Justice’s authority over the hearing has been filed in the Islamabad High Court.
The PTI Chairman’s request, along with objections, has prompted the court to schedule the hearing for today. Chief Justice of the Islamabad High Court, Aamer Farooq, will oversee the proceedings.
PTI leader Naeem ul Haque claimed that during the hearing, the judge raised a point stating that during the hearing, he asked whether the court had been presented with any request for remand. When denied, he questioned how a remand could be given without a request, citing Article 10-1 of the Constitution which requires informing the accused of the grounds of arrest.
This report sheds light on the ongoing legal developments surrounding PTI Chairman Imran Khan’s cases, particularly the comparison between the Saifur Rehman and Toshakhana cases in terms of their potential impact.
