The Islamabad High Court is set to hear the petition filed by the founder of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Imran Khan, seeking a court order to prevent his potential transfer to military custody for a trial in the cases related to the May 9 violent protests. The hearing, scheduled for today, will be presided over by IHC’s Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb. This plea was filed by the incarcerated ex-premier under Article 199 of the Constitution on September 3, amid concerns and speculations about the possibility of a military trial for the deposed prime minister.
The petition has faced objections from the IHC registrar’s office, which questioned the absence of specific first information report (FIR) details and supporting documentation attached to the plea. The office also raised concerns about the filing of the petition in a high court while the matter of military trials is sub judice in the Supreme Court.
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The speculations about a potential military trial were fueled by statements from government officials, including Defence Minister Khawaja Asif and Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar, who hinted at the likelihood of Imran Khan facing a military trial based on the evidence against him. These statements added to the ongoing legal challenges faced by Khan, with Asif emphasizing that it was becoming increasingly clear that the former prime minister would be subjected to a military trial.
It is important to note that the Supreme Court’s decision in December 2023 suspended its earlier ruling that declared civilians’ trials in military courts null and void in connection with the May 9 riots. The court’s verdict stated that military court trials would be subject to the Supreme Court’s final decision on the intra-court appeals filed by the federal and provincial governments and the defense ministry.
