“Refer to Him as ‘Accused,’ Not ‘PTI Founder,’ Orders CJP Afridi to Prosecution”

LAHORE (RNN TV) — Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Yahya Afridi on Wednesday advised state prosecutors to refrain from referring to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan by political titles during court proceedings, suggesting instead the use of neutral terms such as “the accused.”

The directive was issued during a Supreme Court hearing on appeals concerning the physical remand of the detained PTI founder. The hearing was presided over by Chief Justice Afridi in response to a request made by Special Prosecutor Zulfiqar Naqvi.

Mr. Naqvi had sought the court’s permission to conduct photographic, polygraphic, and voice matching tests, stating that “the PTI founder was not cooperating in jail.” In response, Chief Justice Afridi remarked that political designations were inappropriate in legal contexts. “Say the accused is not cooperating, not the founder of PTI,” he instructed.

The remarks reflect growing judicial sensitivity toward the use of politically charged language in high-profile cases.

Advocate Salman Safdar, representing Imran Khan, argued that the issue of physical remand was no longer applicable as the case had advanced to the indictment stage. He also requested the court’s permission to meet his client in jail to receive legal instructions.

“There are nearly 300 cases pending against my client. He must be granted sufficient time and access to prepare his legal defence,” Safdar said.

In response, Chief Justice Afridi assured, “This time, your meeting will take place without any formal court order. Let’s see whether it is allowed without an order or not.” The case was adjourned to April 23 and will be heard by a three-member bench led by Justice Hashim Kakar.

In a related development, the Supreme Court dismissed the Punjab government’s appeals against the restoration of Imran Khan’s pre-arrest bail in another case, terming them “ineffective.” The bench noted that the appeals had lost legal relevance due to recent progress in the trial.

Special Prosecutor Naqvi reiterated that the prosecution was not seeking further physical remand but requested approval for identification-related tests to be conducted inside the jail. However, Chief Justice Afridi emphasized that assumptions about the accused’s cooperation could not be made without legal justification.