PTI names PM Shehbaz Sharif and other officials in the contempt petition but leaves out Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi.
ISLAMABAD – Web Desk: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) decision to omit Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi from its contempt petition over the alleged non-implementation of the Supreme Court’s order regarding Imran Khan’s transfer to Shifa International Hospital has triggered questions within and outside the party.
The controversy centres on whether the contempt proceedings are primarily intended to secure implementation of the Supreme Court’s August 18 order or to seek action against officials allegedly responsible for its non-implementation.
PTI’s Legal Strategy Under Question
According to sources familiar with the proceedings, the issue was discussed during a PTI parliamentary party meeting.
PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan reportedly stressed that the matter should not become a political exercise and should instead be pursued by the party’s lawyers on legal and professional grounds.
The stated objective, according to the sources, was to ensure implementation of the Supreme Court’s order directing that Imran Khan be shifted to Shifa International Hospital and receive treatment under arrangements specified by the court.
The discussion reportedly focused on whether administrative officials responsible for implementing the order should be named rather than senior political figures.
Shehbaz Named, Naqvi Omitted
Despite that position, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif was subsequently named as a respondent in the petition, while Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi was left out.
The omission has become a subject of discussion within political circles and the media.
PTI’s legal team, however, has provided a different explanation.
Barrister Salman Akram Raja said there needed to be evidence linking an individual to the decision not to comply with the Supreme Court’s order before that person could be named as a respondent.
He explained that this was why Naqvi was not included, while the interior secretary was nominated instead.
Who Has Been Named in the Petition?
The petition was filed by Imran Khan’s sister, Uzma Khan, through lawyer Uzair Karamat Bhandari.
According to Geo News, the respondents include Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, the law and information ministers, Islamabad’s chief commissioner, the interior secretary, the Punjab inspector general of prisons and the Adiala Jail superintendent.
The petition seeks contempt proceedings and immediate measures to implement the Supreme Court’s direction concerning Imran Khan’s transfer to Shifa International Hospital.
Government Challenges Supreme Court Order
The federal government has challenged the Supreme Court’s original order.
The government maintains that a security situation created by PTI workers prevented Imran Khan’s transfer to Shifa. Instead, the former prime minister was taken to the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) for a medical examination before being returned to Adiala Jail.
The legal dispute therefore remains tied to the implementation of the Supreme Court’s August 18 directive and the circumstances surrounding Imran Khan’s proposed transfer.
Debate Over Contempt Proceedings
The controversy over Naqvi’s omission has raised a broader question about the purpose of PTI’s contempt petition.
Sources cited in the report say PTI leadership had initially emphasised enforcement of the court order rather than punishment of political figures.
The petition, however, has prompted debate over whether the legal strategy ultimately adopted remains consistent with that objective.
The matter remains developing, with the next stage of the legal proceedings expected to clarify how the Supreme Court will deal with the allegations concerning implementation of its order.
