Apex court rejects plea to stay probe against PTI Chief Imran Khan in lawyer murder case

ISLAMABAD, July 04 (SABAH):  The Supreme Court of Pakistan on Tuesday rejected a plea seeking to stop the prosecution from taking any action against Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman and former prime minister Imran Khan in the murder of a known lawyer in Quetta.

As the defence objected to nominating their client in the murder case, they had requested the court to issue a stay order. However, a two-member bench comprising Justice Ijazul Ahsan and Justice Ayesha A. Malik also didn’t accept the application against the non-bailable warrants issued for the accused.

The bench observed that a two-member Balochistan High Court bench had dismissed the plea; therefore, the two-member Supreme Court bench couldn’t grant stay. The court said it could refer the matter to the chief justice of Pakistan for formation of the larger bench, which could give relief to Imran Khan. Sarsar Latif Khan Khosa appeared before the two-member bench and presented his arguments. The bench adjourned the hearing of the case for indefinite period.

Earlier on June 6, the PTI chief was booked in the murder case of Abdur Razzaq Shar, a Supreme Court lawyer, who was assassinated by unidentified persons on Airport Road in the provincial capital.

A case under murder and terrorism sections were lodged on the complaint of victim’s son as police said the killers shot him with a Kalashnikov. The victim received 16 bullets in different parts of his body.

Abdul Razzaq Shar was one of the petitioners in a treason case against the PTI Chairman Imran Khan. Lawyers Amanullah Kanrani and Shar had jointly submitted a petition in the Balochistan High Court (BHC), seeking an action against the former prime minister under the Article 6 of the Constitution. The hearing on the petition was scheduled to be held June 7.

Special Assistant to the Prime Minister Attaullah Tarar had said the PTI chief was responsible for the targeted killing.