The Punjab government has retracted its appeals from the Supreme Court concerning the bail of PTI founder Bushra Bibi.

ISLAMABAD: On Wednesday, the Punjab government retracted all its appeals in the Supreme Court contesting the bail granted to former Prime Minister and PTI founder Imran Khan and his spouse, Bushra Bibi.

A three-judge panel of the Supreme Court, led by Justice Muhammad Hashim Kakar, reviewed the Punjab government’s petitions challenging the bail awarded to the PTI founder and his spouse in the cases from May 9 and others.

At the hearing, the prosecutor for the Punjab government notified the court that he had been directed not to pursue the appeals. He requested authorization to retract all petitions submitted against the lower court’s rulings that granted bail to Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi.

The Supreme Court granted the motion and dismissed the applications as withdrawn.

The same Supreme Court court also considered an appeal in the Toshakhana case.

Latif Khosa, attorney for the PTI founder, stated that a two-member bench of the Islamabad High Court had deferred Imran Khan’s sentencing in the Toshakhana case. Nevertheless, lawyers contended that although the punishment had been stayed, the appeal remained unresolved, and due to the pending determination, the PTI founder was prohibited from contesting elections notwithstanding the suspension of his sentence.

Justice Hashim Kakar inquired if the appeal had been resolved. Latif Khosa stated that the appeal remains unresolved.

Justice Kakar noted that if a sentence is suspended, there should be no legal impediment, including eligibility to participate in elections. He inquired whether an individual would remain incarcerated or be released upon the suspension of the sentence.

Khosa stated that the individual would be released following the suspension of the sentence.