Islamabad, May 30 (PTI) Pakistan’s jailed former prime minister Imran Khan on Thursday complained about the difficulties in seeking legal help to prepare for a case before appearing in the Supreme Court.
Khan had his first courtroom interaction with Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa when he appeared before the apex court through a video link in a case about changes in the anti-corruption law.
A five-member Supreme Court larger bench, headed by Chief Justice Isa and including Justice Amin-ud-Din Khan, Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail, Justice Athar Minallah and Justice Hasan Azhar Rizvi heard the intra-court appeal (ICA) by the government against annulment of certain changes in the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) laws.
Khan had challenged the tweaks in the NAB laws by the previous government, and the top court in September last year had accepted his plea that led to the reopening of dozens of cases of alleged corruption against leading politicians, including President Asif Ali Zardari and former prime minister Nawaz Sharif.
Khan, 71, appeared as a petitioner through video link in the case from the Adiala Jail of Rawalpindi, where he has been incarcerated. He was arrested last August and kept first in the Attock Jail and now in Adiala Jail.
This was the first time that he came face to face with the chief justice, though digitally, with the judge he had tried to remove from court while heading the government.
The Dawn News reported that when Khan was allowed to speak, Chief Justice Isa asked him whether he would like to present his arguments himself or have his lawyer Khawaja Haris argue on his behalf.
The ex-premier then sought 30 minutes to present his arguments. “I was neither provided with material to prepare nor am I allowed to meet lawyers. I am in solitary confinement,” he lamented.
The PTI founder, referring to the general elections held earlier this year, said, “The biggest robbery was committed in the country on February 8.” The chief justice then directed Imran: “Do not speak about this right now. We are currently hearing the NAB amendments case.” Addressing the CJ, the former prime minister said, “Our two petitions related to human rights violations are pending before you.” When asked who his counsel was in those petitions, Imran replied Hamid Khan was. “Hamid Khan is a senior lawyer. He had to go abroad, hence in one case, a date of his choice has been fixed for hearing,” the CJ noted.
Here, Khan claimed, “Chief Justice sahib, there is a one-window operation in the [Adiala] jail, which is being run by a Colonel sahib. You may order him to allow my meeting with my legal team.
“They (jail authorities) do not let me meet my legal team. I am being kept in solitary confinement here. I neither have any material nor a library to prepare for the case,” he added.
“I wanted to meet lawyers previously as well but was not allowed,” Imran said.
Justice Isa then assured Imran that he would be provided with the required material and also allowed to meet lawyers, warning that if he sought a legal team’s services, his direct arguments would not be heard in the case.
“A legal expert’s assistance is vital for preparation. I want to meet Khawaja Haris and one or two other lawyers,” Imran insisted.
CJ Isa then stated that Khawaja Haris could meet the ex-premier “whenever he wants”, adding, “Do not take 50 lawyers with you. One or two lawyers can meet the PTI founder when they wish.” He also ordered that Khan be provided with the complete case records.
The hearing was later adjourned till the next week without giving any specific date.
In 2022, several amendments were made to the National Accountability Ordinance (NAO) 1999, including reducing the term of the NAB chairman and prosecutor general to three years, limiting NAB’s jurisdiction to cases involving over Rs 500 million, and transferring all pending inquiries, investigations, and trials to the relevant authorities.
Earlier, the bench decided against live streaming of the proceedings in a 4:1 ruling. Justice Minallah expressed his support for the livestream. “If the case used to be broadcast live earlier, it should be live-streamed today as well,” he observed.
Though CJ Isa began live streaming of cases, he had not allowed live streaming of this case on the last hearing held on May 16. However, the court had ordered authorities to facilitate Khan’s appearance before the court via video link.
Khan had moved the apex court against the amendments, claiming that the changes to the NAB law were made to benefit the influential accused persons and legitimise corruption.
In September last year, after 53 hearings, the court announced its 2-1 verdict, ordering the restoration of corruption cases against public office holders that were withdrawn due to the amendments and declaring Imran’s plea to be maintainable.
The verdict was challenged by the then government and in October last year a five-judge bench took up the challenge against its September 15 judgment and stopped accountability courts from issuing a final verdict in graft cases.
After a long break, the court resumed hearing on May 14, ordering authorities to ensure Khan’s presence before the apex court via video link. PTI SH NPK AKJ NPK NPK
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