ISLAMABAD(National Times)- The Supreme Court (SC) on Friday accepted a chamber appeal moved by former prime minister and PTI founder Imran Khan and ordered early fixation of the case before an apex court bench as early as possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Imran had filed a petition before the SC, requesting that he be shifted to Islamabad\u2019s Shifa International Hospital and granted access to his family and personal physicians.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Through the chamber appeal, Imran challenged the SC Registrar\u2019s order that returned petitions seeking his transfer to Shifa International Hospital, Islamabad, as well as access to his personal physicians, family and counsel, and the provision of medical details to his family.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The SC Registrar had returned the petition on the grounds that no signed power of attorney had been attached to the petition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On Friday, Advocate Uzair Karamat Bhandari appeared before the chamber of Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Yahya Afridi to plead the case. Consequently, the objections earlier raised by the Registrar\u2019s Office were removed after being declared null and void.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The counsel was also directed to furnish a signed power of attorney, and the office was ordered to assign a case number to Khan\u2019s petition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The SC also ordered that the petition moved by Dr Uzma Khan, the sister of Imran, be heard along with the case.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The chamber appeal argued that the Registrar had exceeded his administrative authority, as the Registrar\u2019s Office was primarily vested with administrative and procedural powers relating to the filing and processing of cases.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It said determining maintainability, particularly where constitutional or statutory interpretation was involved, was a judicial function requiring legal reasoning and consideration of rival submissions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The petition also sought to convert the present petition into an appeal and direct that a medical examination of the petitioner be arranged by physicians of his choice, including Dr Khurram Mirza, Dr Asim Yusuf, Dr Faisal Sultan and Dr Samina Niazi, at the earliest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Moreover, the petition also sought the immediate transfer of the petitioner to Shifa International Hospital, Islamabad, for treatment and a comprehensive medical examination, along with continued access to his physicians, family members and counsel during his incarceration and treatment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Likewise, Dr Uzma had also challenged before the SC the Islamabad High Court\u2019s ruling refusing to shift him to Shifa International Hospital, allow access to his personal physicians, family and counsel, and provide medical details to the family.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The petition explained that Imran and his wife were currently incarcerated at Adiala jail, while his two sons lived abroad. As his sister and a doctor by qualification, the applicant had natural love and affection for her brother and was seriously concerned about his health and well-being, which, it alleged, were being jeopardised by the official acts and omissions of the respondents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It maintained that the appellant was Imran\u2019s closest relative in Pakistan and therefore had the legal standing to file the appeal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Imran \u2014 imprisoned since Aug 5, 2023, for concealing details of Toshakhana gifts \u2014 is serving a 14-year sentence at Rawalpindi\u2019s Adiala jail in a \u00a3190 million corruption case, also known as the Al-Qadir Trust case.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
His eye ailment \u2014 right central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO) \u2014 came to light in late January and receives government-provided treatment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The government and the opposition have been engaged in a blame game, with the latter accusing the former of a lack of transparency in not ensuring appropriate treatment for Imran, and not allowing his personal physicians access to him. The government denies these allegations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The opposition has also demanded that the former premier be shifted to Shifa International Hospital, be treated in the presence of his personal physicians and allowed to meet his family.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
ISLAMABAD(National Times)- The Supreme Court (SC) on Friday accepted a chamber appeal moved by former prime minister and PTI founder Imran Khan and ordered early fixation of the case before an apex court bench as early as possible. Imran had filed a petition before the SC, requesting that he be shifted to Islamabad\u2019s Shifa International […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":130443,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-130442","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-latest_news","entry"],"yoast_head":"\n