Imran Khan’s Trial to Be Conducted Only via Mobile Phone, Claims Salman Akram Raja

Lahore: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader and senior lawyer Salman Akram Raja has raised serious concerns over the procedure being adopted for the trial of former Prime Minister Imran Khan.

Speaking to a private TV channel, Salman Akram Raja said that, for the first time in judicial history, a trial is being conducted without presenting the accused before the court, relying solely on a video link to complete the proceedings.

He claimed that Imran Khan is not being allowed to meet anyone in jail, including his lawyers or family members. According to him, the former prime minister will be confined to a small cell where a mobile phone will be placed in front of him, and he will be deemed present in court through that device, while the judge will be seated miles away in the courtroom.

🚨بیرسٹر سلمان اکرم راجہ کا انکشاف

اب نوٹیفکیشن کردیا گیا ہے جس کے مطابق اب جیل ٹرائل اور عدالت میں بھی عمران خان کو پیش نہیں کیا جائے گا بلکہ اب ان کوٹھڑی میں ایک بندہ موبلائل فون لے کر جائے گا اور وہ جج کو ویڈیو کال پر دیکھائے گا کہ عمران خان کال کوٹھڑی میں موجود ہیں اور جج… pic.twitter.com/rF7lnDvXQE

— Ahmad Hassan Bobak (@ahmad__bobak) December 18, 2025

Salman Akram Raja said that if the judge is able to see Imran Khan’s face on the screen, it will be assumed that the accused is present in court. However, he argued that in reality, there would be no lawyer present with him and no opportunity for direct judicial interaction.

He questioned whether this is the proper procedure for a jail trial, adding that a similar notification has been issued for jail proceedings as well. Under this arrangement, he said, the accused would remain completely isolated in jail and would only be presented before the court via video link, specifically through a mobile phone.

Calling the process a violation of the fundamental principles of a fair and transparent trial, Salman Akram Raja stated that such a method does not meet the standards of justice.