The Punjab government on Wednesday withdrew its SC against bail petitions filed against former prime minister Imran Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi.
A three-judge bench of the Supreme Court, headed by Justice Muhammad Hashim Kakar, heard the case. The petitions challenged bail granted to the PTI founder and his spouse in May 9 and other related cases.
During the hearing, the Punjab government’s prosecutor informed the court that he had instructions not to pursue the SC against bail appeals. He requested permission to withdraw all petitions filed against the lower court’s bail orders.
The Supreme Court accepted the request. The SC against bail petitions were dismissed as withdrawn. This ended the provincial government’s challenge to the bail granted earlier.
Legal experts said the withdrawal clears one major hurdle in the ongoing cases. However, other legal matters concerning the PTI founder remain under review.
Separately, the same bench heard an appeal in the Toshakhana case. PTI counsel Latif Khosa told the court that a two-member bench of the Islamabad High Court had suspended Imran Khan’s sentence in the case.
Khosa explained that although the sentence was suspended, the appeal itself was still pending. He argued that due to the pending decision, the PTI founder was not allowed to contest elections.
Justice Hashim Kakar asked whether the appeal had been decided. Khosa confirmed that it was still under consideration.
Justice Kakar observed that once a sentence is suspended, there should be no legal obstacle. He questioned whether a person should remain in jail after suspension of the sentence.
Khosa responded that suspension of a sentence means the individual should be released.
The SC against bail withdrawal and the Toshakhana hearing mark important developments in the PTI founder’s legal journey. Observers say the court’s remarks could influence future proceedings.
While the SC against bail petitions have been withdrawn, attention now shifts to pending appeals and related cases. The Supreme Court is expected to continue hearing relevant matters in the coming weeks.
In other news read more about: Islamabad Court Extends Pre-Arrest Bail in Cases Against PTI Founder
