Former prime minister Imran Khan has claimed that a judge who sentenced him and his spouse in un-Islamic nikkah case was “pressured” to pronounce a verdict of the case before celebrating his son’s valima.
His remarks came a day after the Supreme Court of Pakistan took suo motu notice of the IHC judges’ letter to the Supreme Judicial Council seeking to probe the alleged interference of intelligence agencies in judicial affairs.
Last month, the IHC judges — Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kiyani, Justice Tariq Mehmood Jahangiri, Justice Babar Sattar, Justice Sardar Ejaz Ishaq Khan, Justice Arbab Muhammad Tahir, and Justice Saman Fafat Imtiaz — wrote the letter to the SJC.
Following a meeting between Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif a one-member commission headed by former chief justice of Pakistan Tassaduq Hussain Jillani was formed but later Jillani recused himself from heading the probe commission.
During his interaction with journalists in Adiala Jail today, Khan hailed the IHC judges for raising their voice against spy agencies’ alleged interference in judicial affairs and claimed that judges would send him “messages of helplessness”.
The former premier said: “I salute the judges for raising their voice and hope they will save the country.”
Everyone knew about the “regime change operation,” he said while referring to his ouster from power in April 2022 that former PM alleged result of a conspiracy hatched by the US in collusion with his political rivals.
Referring to his convention in multiple cases, the PTI founder said: “Judges used to send him messages that they are helpless.”
Responding to a question, he welcomed the decision of former CJP Jillani for refusing to lead an inquiry into the judges’ letter and the formation of a seven-member bench of the SC on the matter.
However, the PTI founder demanded the formation of the full court to hear the matter of the judges’ letter. “It is a serious matter and should be heard by full court,” he added.
The seven-member bench, however, is better than the commission, he said.
Backing the IHC judges’ allegations, Khan said that senior civil judge Qudratullah, who had handed seven-year sentences, each, to Khan and his wife Bushra in the “un-Islamic nikah” case in February, had told him that he could not organise valima reception of his son until he announced the verdict.
During the cipher case trial, the PTI founder claimed a judge went out for 10 minutes and handed him 10-year sentence while his statement was being recorded.
“Interference in the judiciary and the investigation of the judges’ letter must start with the [former IHC judge] Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui case.”
Firing a fresh salvo at the Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja, Khan said that he was the main character in the implementation of the “London plan”.
“The caretaker government and the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) jointly implemented the London plan.”
To another query, the PTI founder claimed that Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb and the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC) would not be able to bring investment in Pakistan no matter what steps they take.
