ISLAMABAD: A number of political cases including Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder chairman Imran Khan and his party’s constitutional pleas and appeals were filed in the Islamabad High Court (IHC) in 2024.
In the face of harsh criticism, the Supreme Court has delivered landmark verdicts in these cases and provided relief to scores.
The court acquitted PTI founder and its key aide Shah Mahmood Qureshi in the cipher case, overturning the decision of the special court. He also suspended the sentences of PTI founder and his wife Bushra Bibi in the Toshakhana I case, granting them bail during the trial in Toshakhana II (Bulgari set) and £190 million.
A petition to disqualify PTI founder over alleged non-disclosure of his daughter Tyrian White has been dismissed.
In a notable move, the IHC facilitated the recovery of about 90 missing persons, including poet Ahmad Farhad and central PTI founder Intizar Panjuth, while 95 Baloch students were reported missing.
A larger bench was constituted to hear the case of the missing Baloch students, with interim Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar summoned for the trial.
In another key decision, the deputy commissioner of Islamabad was sentenced to six months in jail, while the SSP was given a four-month sentence for his role in the detention of PTI leader Shehryar Afridi.
The court also ruled against a ban on Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) from filing court reports, allowing the media to cover court proceedings.
In addition, the court ordered telecommunications companies to refrain from recording consumers’ phone calls in case of audio leakage to ensure privacy.
The IHC also expanded the bench from nine to 12 judges this year.
