ISLAMABAD – The Supreme Court on Friday merged Umar Sarfraz Cheema’s case with that of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Founder and former Prime Minister Imran Khan.
SC Chief Justice Yahya Afridi held the proceedings of the case related to May 9 riots against former Punjab Governor Umar Sarfraz Cheema.
During the proceedings, CJP Afridi stated that the case would now be heard next week alongside the PTI founder’s case.
Justice Yahya Afridi remarked that the court sought consistency in the decisions related to physical remand cases, adding that both the PTI founder’s case and Umar Sarfraz Cheema’s case pertain to physical remand.
During the hearing, Cheema’s lawyer argued that his client was arrested before the FIR was registered. In response, the Punjab government’s lawyer said that the court had not granted even a single day of physical remand for Umar Sarfraz Cheema, and that a pistol was yet to be recovered from him.
Later, the court adjourned the hearing until April 24.
On April 16, SC had rejected a plea seeking a written order to allow a meeting between the lawyer and PTI founder Imran Khan.
A SC three-member bench headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Yahya Afridi heard the appeal related to the physical remand of the PTI founder in the May 9 cases.
During the hearing, Imran Khan’s counsel Salman Safdar and Special Prosecutor Zulfiqar Naqvi had appeared before the court.
During the proceedings, Special Prosecutor Zulfiqar Naqvi had submitted that the polygraphic and voice matching tests of the PTI founder were still pending.
“The physical remand is required only for these two tests but the PTI founder has not cooperated,” he said.
Imran Khan’s lawyer Salman Safdar had responded, saying, “My client is facing more than 300 cases. In order to obtain instructions from him, I request the Supreme Court to issue special directions. If the court allows, I will be able to meet him,”.
At this point, Chief Justice Yahya Afridi had remarked, “You may go ahead and meet him whenever you need to; we will not issue any written order. You can meet him without a court order — the meeting will happen,”.
The court would take up the matter on April 23.
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