Judge Humayun Dilawar not expelled from University of Hull

LONDON: Islamabad Additional District and Sessions Judge Humayun Dilawar, who sentenced former prime minister Imran Khan in the Toshakhana case, contrary to the claims has not been expelled from the University of Hull’s human rights and the rule of law programme and will complete the course, official university sources told The News.

On Monday, news started circulating on social media on the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) accounts that the visiting Pakistani judge had been expelled due to the online campaign of the former ruling party.

However, a university source, told The News, that the claims were fake and unsubstantiated. The university confirmed that Judge Dilawar is continuing to attend the course as scheduled and will remain at the varsity till it ends.

The PTI ran a campaign urging the university to cancel the attendance of the visiting Pakistani judge but the university has refused to accommodate any such demands.

Earlier, the university said it has been running human rights and the rule of law training for Pakistani judges since 2014, for which the participants are selected by their respective high courts in the country.

“The current cohort has been selected by the Islamabad High Court, the Peshawar High Court and the Supreme Court of Pakistan. The University has no role in the selection of judges," it read.

Judge Humayun Dilawar, who sentenced Imran Khan to three years in prison in the Toshakhana case, departed for London on Saturday after announcing the verdict.

It was claimed on the PTI accounts that the judge had been favoured for convicting the former premier but documents show that his participation in the workshop had been confirmed on July 31 and his name was added to the list after one of the shortlisted judges, Faizan Haider was unable to get his UK visa on time.

Other judicial officers either attending the Hull University programme or visiting are Zeba Chaudhry, Kamran Basharat, Shoaib Bilal, Abida Sajjad, Saima Iqbal, Ayesha Shabbir, Saqib Jawad, Rizwan Qureshi and Sanam Bukhari.

Judge Dilawar left for London immediately after sentencing Imran Khan, who was arrested and sent to Attock jail soon after the conviction.

PTI supporters in the UK announced they will confront the judge and around four workers reached London’s Heathrow Airport but were unable to find the judge.

On Monday, around four workers also visited the university but were stopped by the administration from entering the premises.

A university spokesman said the administration has barred anyone irrelevant from stepping onto the premises and warned of legal action if someone violated the rule.

On Tuesday, close to 100 members of the PTI’s UK chapter held a protest outside Hull University and demanded the expulsion of the judge. The protestors dispersed after two hours.