The Supreme Court’s constitution bench on Friday dismissed objections of the registrar office to the petition filed by PTI founder Imran Khan against the Official Secrets Act and the Army Act.
A five-member bench, headed by Justice Aminuddin Khan, heard the petition, with Shoaib Shaheen representing the former prime minister.
During the proceedings, the court sought arguments on whether the petition was maintainable and remarked that it should be explained why the high court was not approached before challenging the amendments.
Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar remarked that the apex court had been hearing petitions against under Article 184/3 on its own wish, adding that if it continued hearing direct petitions, Article 199 would become ineffective.
Imran Khan’s lawyer argued that the amendments to the Official Secrets Act and the Army Act were infringing on people’s rights. He stated that the decision on whether the petition was maintainable or not should be made by the court, not the registrar.
Subsequently, the Constitutional Bench dismissed the objections raised against the petition, and directed the Registrar’s office to formally allot a number to the constitutional petition.
