ISLAMABAD: The country’s highly charged political environment appears to have pushed power brokers to the brink. During a civil case hearing on Tuesday, Chief Justice of Pakistan Umar Ata Bandial clarified that his remark “good to see you Imran Khan” had no political connotation.
The CJP clarified that everyone is entitled to basic respect and good manners, lamenting that he was chastised for offering a simple greeting to deposed prime minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chairperson Imran Khan during a recent hearing following the latter’s arrest by paramilitary forces.
During a civil case hearing, CJP Bandial addressed lawyer Asghar Sabswari and emphasised the importance of good manners.
The CJP’s remarks come a day after the ruling coalition’s – the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) – protested CJP Bandial’s alleged preferential treatment of former Prime Minister Imran Khan outside the Supreme Court (SC).
The ruling alliance announced the sit-in outside the Supreme Court after a three-judge bench led by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Bandial declared Imran’s arrest from the premises of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) illegal and ordered his immediate release on May 11.
On May 9, 2023, paramilitary Rangers stormed the IHC premises, where Imran had appeared to face graft proceedings in connection with the Al-Qadir Trust case, and whisked the former premier away in a whirlwind raid carried out on the National Accountability Bureau’s (NAB) behalf.
The arrest, or “abduction” as the PTI claims, occurred before the court proceedings could begin. IHC Chief Justice Aamer Farooq questioned the arrest procedure, issuing contempt notices to the interior secretary and the Islamabad inspector-general of police (IGP), but maintained that the arrest was legal.
The following day, the IHC granted NAB physical remand of the PTI chairman for eight days and indicted him in a separate graft case in which Imran and his legal team had previously boycotted proceedings.
Also read: Court rejected Dr Yasmin Rashid’s physical remand, sent to police hospital
In response to widespread protests in major cities, the government shut down mobile internet services and restricted public access to information, bringing the country to a halt.
The apparent disregard for due process when dealing with an accused, as well as the involvement of the country’s paramilitary forces, drew international attention, with global media outlets pointing to escalating tensions between the deposed prime minister and the incumbent civil-military relationships.
Given the political uncertainty and suspension of internet services, Pakistan’s already fragile economy took a further hit in the aftermath of the arrest.
Following Imran’s arrest and release, the political climate has remained tense, with the federal government criticising judicial forces and the deposed prime minister accusing security forces of working against his party. As democratic processes continue to suffer, the government’s crackdown against those who resorted to civil unrest after Imran’s arrest has continued unabated with hundreds rounded up across the country.
Thousands of people took to the streets in protest of Imran’s arrests, highlighting his status as a popular leader once more. In retaliation, several of them barged into critical military buildings as well as residential areas. Earlier this week, prominent PTI leaders such as Asad Umar, Fawad Chaudhry, and Yasmin Rashid were arrested. Some PTI leaders are still being held.
