NAB amendment case: SC allows Khawaja Haris to meet PTI founder

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder on Thursday appeared before the Supreme Court (SC) bench in the National Accountability (NAB) Ordinance 1999 amendment case. 

 A five-member SC larger bench, headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa, and also comprising Justice Aminuddin Khan, Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail, Justice Athar Minallah and Justice Hasan Azhar Rizvi is hearing the case.

Arrangements to ensure the PTI founder’s appearance before the Supreme Court bench via video link were finalised in light of the apex court’s order.

At the outset of the hearing, the advocate general KP requested the SC for the live-streaming of the hearing. This is not an issue of public interest, sit down at your seat, the CJP asked the AG KP.

The hearing should be broadcast live to shun the ‘negative’ impression, Justice Athar Minallah remarked.

The bench took a short break to mull whether to live-stream the hearing and in a majority 4:1 decision, chose not to, with Justice Minallah dissenting from it.

If live-streamed, this would have been Imran Khan’s first public appearance since his arrest from Zaman Park in August last year in the Toshakhana case despite reservations expressed by Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar about the SC’s directives.

In today’s hearing, federal government’s lawyer Makhdoom Ali Khan completed his arguments in the case, which were adopted by the AGP Mansoor Awan. PTI lawyer Khawaja Haris sought three-hour time for his arguments and also sought permission to meet his client, the PTI founder.

The SC, allowed Khawaja Haris to meet PTI founder. “Khawaja Haris can meet PTI founder, whenever he wants”.

The SC also ordered to provide all the record of the NAB amendments case to the plaintiff, Imran Khan and adjourned the hearing till coming week.

Last hearing

At the outset of the hearing, Khawaja Haris came to the rostrum, at which the chief justice said the former was a counsel in the “original case”, hence his absence was upsetting. “We would also want to hear your stance,” the CJP remarked.

“Did you submit the bill for the fee as a lawyer?”, the top judge asked. “No I do not need a free,” the lawyer replied to the CJP.

The top asked why it took so long to decide on a case related to a few amendments.

Read more: NAB amendments case: SC allows PTI founder to attend proceedings via video link

The federal government’s lawyer Makhdoom Ali Khan said the case was prolonged on the point of its admissibility. The same was narrated in the final order of the Supreme Court, he added.

CJP Justice Qazi Faez Isa asked Makhdoom Ali Khan to make his arguments loudly so that the PTI founder could listen to him on the video link.

During the hearing, the matter of delaying general elections also came to light. The CJP in a friendly argument with Justice Athar Minallah remarked that we solved the issue within 12 days.

“We solved the election matter within 12 days after you [Justice Minallah] joined me,” the top judge said.

Review petitions

The federal government filed the review plea in the NAB amendments case under the SC Practice and Procedure Law and made the Federation of Pakistan, National Accountability Bureau and PTI founder respondents.

Read more: Justice Mansoor suggests full court to hear NAB amendments case

Citing no violation of basic rights with the NAB amendments, the federal government pleaded with the SC to nullify its decision in the case. “Legislation is the right of the Parliament,” the plea said.

Verdict

In a majority 2-1 verdict, the top court approved Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan’s petition challenging amendments made to the country’s accountability laws during the tenure of the previous Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM)-led government.

The top court also restored graft cases against public office holders that were closed down following the amendments to National Accountability Bureau laws.