ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has scheduled a hearing regarding a petition filed by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur, who is seeking the parole release of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan.
The hearing will take place despite several procedural objections raised by the Registrar’s Office.
Gandapur filed the petition, citing the current national situation as the grounds for requesting the temporary release of Khan. Acting Chief Justice Sarfraz Dogar is set to preside over the hearing.
The Registrar’s Office has raised multiple issues with the petition, including a significant objection that the request was not made by Imran Khan himself, but rather by Gandapur. The office questioned how parole could be sought on behalf of another individual. Another issue was that Imran Khan, the person for whom parole is being requested, was not made a party in the petition. The National Accountability Bureau (NAB), which is handling the case under which Khan was convicted, was also not included as a respondent. Additionally, the petition was incomplete, lacking the full addresses of the respondents.
Previously, the Registrar’s Office had instructed Gandapur to address these objections and refile the petition. Despite these unresolved issues, the case has been scheduled for hearing tomorrow.
On May 9, 2025, Gandapur filed a constitutional petition seeking the release of Imran Khan on parole in all cases against him. The petition was filed through his lawyers Latif Khosa and Shehbaz Khosa, who argued that the current national security situation in Pakistan necessitated extraordinary actions.
Gandapur pointed out the heightened security threats stemming from the unprovoked aggression of the Modi-led Indian government, including drone attacks on various Pakistani cities. He argued that these attacks have placed Khan’s life in jeopardy. In the petition, Gandapur highlighted that during his tenure as Prime Minister, Imran Khan had significantly strained relations with India, openly challenging the policies of Modi’s government. He further claimed that Modi had been repeatedly embarrassed by Khan, both nationally and internationally, especially on issues of major importance to Pakistan.
