LAHORE: Five jailed senior PTI leaders have appealed to the country’s top judge to instruct the Lahore High Court to expedite their appeals against their convictions, which have not been heard for the last eight months.

In an open letter written to Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Yahya Afridi and shared on Monday, PTI leaders Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Dr Yasmin Rashid, Ejaz Chaudhry, Mian Mahmoodur Rasheed and Omar Sarfraz Cheema requested the top judge to have their appeals expedited.

They reminded him that he had earlier expedited the court proceedings regarding their trial and its early disposal as well.

The inmates stated that they were patriotic and law-abiding citizens of Pakistan. They said they had all served Pakistan to the best of their abilities and believed in the country’s Constitution and legal system.

Five senior party figures write to top judge, lament ‘eight-month LHC delay’ in hearing pleas

Yet, they stated, their constitutional rights were being trampled as they continued to suffer “political victimisation”.

“We have been languishing in jail for the last 34 months,” they bemoaned.

The letter stated that the imprisoned leaders were sentenced in July last year by an anti-terrorism court. Since the verdict, they said they had submitted appeals to the LHC challenging their convictions and seeking their immediate suspension.

“For the last eight months, our appeals and suspensions have not been heard,” they stated, lamenting that their lawyers had submitted a petition three months ago for an early hearing but to no avail. They said their families had been running from pillar to post without any response.

Asserting that everyone knew that “justice delayed is justice denied”, the incarcerated leaders appealed to the CJP to issue instructions to the LHC to hear their appeals as soon as possible.

“We are appealing to you for our constitutional rights by expediting our appeals and suspension order,” they beseeched.

Published in Dawn, March 17th, 2026