Overview
- The Supreme Court's three-judge review bench on Thursday restored Imran Khan's right to present a defence by a two-to-one majority and remanded the case to the trial court.
- The suit, filed by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in 2017, accuses Khan of falsely alleging that Sharif offered Rs10 billion to drop the Panama Papers case and seeks Rs10 billion in compensation.
- Lower courts had earlier struck off Khan's right of defence and the Lahore High Court had upheld that move before the Supreme Court allowed a review petition.
- Court records cited by the apex court show long procedural delays, including more than 70 adjournment requests by Khan and a written response filed after roughly four years, which factored into the judges' differing views.
- The full written judgment has not been released and the trial court has been directed to give Khan a reasonable opportunity to reply to interrogatories, a step that legal experts say will shape the next phase of the politically sensitive trial.