ISLAMABAD/QUETTA: A two-judge bench of the Supreme Court has refused to provide relief to PTI Chairman Imran Khan in a lawyer’s murder case, asking his counsel to take the matter to the chief justice of Pakistan.

Mr Khan had filed an application to quash the FIR registered against him in the murder case of senior lawyer Abdul Razzaq Shar in Quetta. He also requested to set aside the Balochistan High Court’s decision to reject a similar petition.

The bench comprising Justice Ijazul Ahsan and Justice Ayesha A. Malik took up the matter on Tuesday.

The judges suggested Mr Khan’s counsel Sardar Abdul Latif Khosa approach Chief Justice of Pakistan Umar Ata Bandial to fix the application before a larger bench.

Gets protective bail from IHC; skips JIT appearance in Quetta

Justice Malik also observed that the apex court’s hands were tied since the two-judge bench cannot suspend the decision of a high court division bench.

Consequently, Mr Khosa ins­tituted an application highlighting the urgency to immediately take up the matter and fix it preferably before a three-judge bench since there were fears of “co­ercive action on part of the authorities”.

When Justice Ahsan suggested Mr Khosa approach the CJP, the latter stated his meeting with the top judge always makes headlines.

The judge then asked the counsel, representing the Balochistan government, to accompany Mr Khosa whenever he meets the CJP for the sake of transparency.

Mr Khosa however sought an order to bar police from arresting his client saying that “heaven will not fall if the court issues a direction” since Mr Khan “was facing a life threat”.

The court also ordered Balochistan’s government’s counsel to seek fresh instructions regarding the steps being taken in the probe against the PTI chairman. The apex court also issued notices to the respondents.

Separately, an IHC division bench comprising CJ Farooq and Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb granted protective bail to the PTI chairman, directing him to appear before the relevant court in 14 days.

Mr Khan appeared before the IHC bench along with his lawyer Latif Khosa.

The court granted the protective bail against Rs50,000 surety bonds.

The PTI chairman was also due to appear before the JIT probing Mr Shar’s murder in Quetta on Tuesday. However, he skipped the appearance.

The JIT, constituted by the Baloch­istan home department, had issued a notice to Mr Khan to appear for questioning. A fresh notice will be issued to the PTI chairman for his appearance.

Published in Dawn, July 5th, 2023