The hearing in the foreign funding case against PTI founder Imran Khan and others was adjourned on Thursday after the prosecution failed to submit the challan, while the defence drew attention for citing ChatGPT during arguments.
Read More: Court adjourns PTI foreign funding case until April 2
According to court proceedings, the case challan was not presented before the court once again. Officials informed the judge that the scrutiny of the challan was still underway by the registrar of the banking court.
During the hearing, Imran Khan’s lawyer questioned the process and cited ChatGPT, claiming that the AI tool suggested the registrar was not responsible for scrutinising the challan.
The lawyer argued that ChatGPT indicated that such scrutiny should not be conducted by the registrar, questioning the legal basis of the procedure being followed in the case.
The prosecution responded sharply, stating that the defence appeared to be relying on AI-generated information without understanding the legal framework. The prosecutor maintained that in special courts, it is indeed the registrar who conducts scrutiny of challans before formal submission.
He remarked that if ChatGPT was being used as a reference, it could not replace established legal procedure or statutory rules governing court processes.
The exchange drew attention in court as the prosecution criticised the reliance on artificial intelligence in legal arguments. Meanwhile, the court was also informed that the scrutiny process for the challan was still ongoing, resulting in its non-submission.
Read More: Court extends accused’s interim bail in PTI foreign funding case
The court had been hearing pre-arrest bail applications of two accused individuals in the case. After brief proceedings, the judge reserved the decision and adjourned the hearing until May 11. The foreign funding case has been under judicial proceedings for an extended period, with repeated delays in challan submission and procedural matters contributing to slow progress.