Shah Mahmood, prosecutor involved in heated argument in cipher case

RAWALPINDI: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Shah Mahmood Qureshi and prosecutor in cipher case Raja Rizwan Abbas exchanged heated words during the hearing inside Adiala Jail, ARY News reported.

The PTI leader while on the rostrum lost his cool when intervened by the prosecutor. “I am talking about my fundamental rights, why are you interrupting me?” visibly irked Shah Mahmood Qureshi asked the prosecutor.

Shah Mahmood Qureshi got angry at what he termed prosecutor’s undue interruption of his rightful protest against rejection of his nomination papers depriving him of his right to contest polls.

After this episode, prosecutor Rizwan Abbasi and Qureshi exchanged some hot words and the PTI leader asked Abbasi who is he, what’s his value and by what right he is not letting him demand his rights in a court of law. Abbasi also replied in the same manner.

Judge Abu Al-Hasanat Muhammad Zul-Qarnain kept advising Shah Mahmood Qureshi and Abbasi to remain calm.

Shah Mehmood Qureshi said that his nomination papers were rejected from NA-150, NA-151 and PP-218 were rejected, the nomination papers were rejected.

The PTI leader also submitted an application against the rejection of his nomination papers from the three constituencies.

The judge remarked it is Shah Mahmood Qureshi’s right to challenge rejection of his nomination papers. “We will look into this application in due course,” he added.

Earlier on January 19, the federal government filed a plea in the Supreme Court (SC) against Islamabad High Court’s verdict of nullifying the jail trial of the PTI founder in a cipher case.

PTI founder, special court judge, director general of Federal Investigation Agency, IG, deputy commissioner, chief commissioner Islamabad, and others have been made respondents.

The government in its plea stated that the high court ‘neglected’ the facts in the case and nullified the jail trial of the former prime minister in the cipher case.

“The Islamabad High Court does not have the authority to rule against the special court,” the plea submitted through Raja Rizwan Abbasi stated.