Pakistan's Supreme Court issues notice to PM Imran Khan for alleged use of public funds for party

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan's Supreme Court on Monday issued a notice to Prime Minister Imran Khan for attending a political gathering of lawyers supportive to his party by allegedly using public funds.

The Insaf Lawyers Forum (ILF), the legal wing of the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, held an event on October 9 in the Jinnah Convention Centre here which Khan addressed.

"The prime minister is the premier of the whole country, not of one particular group.

Why is he misusing the state's resources?" Justice Qazi Faez Isa remarked while hearing a case against the Punjab government.

Dawn news reported that the court also referred the matter to Chief Justice Gulzar Ahmed for constituting a bench to hear the case.

It also directed the in-charge of the convention centre to inform who paid for the expenses of the event.

Notices were also issued to the attorney general, Punjab advocate general, convention centre in-charge and concerned ministries.

The judge also observed that the state property was used to organise a private event.

The court also expressed displeasure over the non-appearance of Punjab's advocate general and directed him to assist in the next hearing.

Khan used the lawyers' forum to criticise deposed prime minister Nawaz Sharif, alleging that the former premier tried to run the Army like the police department of Punjab province.