The Supreme Court of Pakistan has overturned a previous order that had restricted former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s right to defend himself in a 10 billion Pakistani rupee defamation lawsuit brought by current Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. In a 2-1 decision, the court reversed its own December 2022 endorsement of closing Khan’s defence, and also overturned earlier rulings from the Lahore High Court and the trial court. The ruling directs the trial court to allow Khan a reasonable opportunity to respond to interrogatories and to proceed with the case lawfully. Justice Kakar dissented from the majority opinion. The court found that relying on past conduct to justify restricting a defendant’s rights was inappropriate and that a formal application was required before invoking a rule that can effectively end a defence. The majority judgment emphasized that restricting a right to defence should not be based on technicalities and requires proof of defiant conduct.