PTI lawyers thrash Khawar Maneka outside court

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) lawyers thrashed Khawar Maneka, as he emerged from the court premises after a hearing on the appeals of former prime minister Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi in the Iddat case on Wednesday.

During the hearing of appeals, when District and Sessions Judge Shahrukh Arjumand went into his chamber without announcing the verdict, the enraged PTI lawyers hurled bottles in the courtroom, prompting Maneka’s lawyers to escort him out. However, while being taken out, a PTI lawyer attacked Maneka and punched him following which he collapsed to the ground.

Earlier, Judge Shahrukh Arjumand was requested to transfer the appeals to another court, as Maneka expressed lack of confidence in the court. The judge did not announce its already reserved verdict, which was supposed to be delivered on Wednesday. Earlier this month, complainant Khawar Fareed Maneka, Bushra Bibi’s former husband, had requested Judge Arjumand to recuse himself from hearing the appeals, accusing him of being biased and sympathetic towards the PTI. Judge Arjumand had taken up the appeals on February 29. During the previous hearing, defence counsel Usman Gill and the prosecutor had concluded their arguments.

As Raja Rizwan Abbasi, lead counsel for Maneka, failed to appear, the court ordered his associate to contact him and tell him he should conclude his arguments in person or via video-link. However, when Abbasi failed to appear, the court reserved its decision.

At the outset of the hearing, Abbasi’s assistant lawyer Aimal Wali appeared before the court and informed the court that Maneka’s lead counsel would arrive by 10:30 am. The judge accepted his request to give a break in the hearing. When the hearing resumed, judge Arjumand noted that Abbasi was yet to present his arguments on “two points”.

At this point, Maneka said he wished to make a few submissions before the court. “My lawyers cannot tell what I have endured; I will speak myself.” The judge responded, “Let the lawyer conclude his arguments first, then we’ll give you a chance to speak.”

Bushra Bibi’s counsel Usman Gill then urged the court to issue contempt notices to Maneka for “affecting the court proceedings”. Maneka repeatedly sought “10 minutes” of speaking time from the court, saying he belonged to a village. He claimed that forged divorce papers of his daughter were circulated on social media.

At this point, heated verbal exchanges took place between the PTI lawyers and Maneka, at which Judge Arjumand asked the lawyers, “Do you want to create a scene?”

Maneka alleged that Imran was being treated with leniency as he was a former prime minister. “Listen to the victim as well,” he said. He argued that his children were not aware of the first Nikah between Imran and Bushra. “I told the children that the Iddat period is ending on February 14, after which the news of Nikah will be disclosed. After that, the Nikah was disclosed on February 18,” Bushra’s ex-husband said.

The judge stopped Maneka from using inappropriate language against Imran. The complainant then lamented, “The PTI’s army came and kept hurling abuses at me. Advocate Usman Riaz Gill threatened to throw me out of the court.”

Maneka criticised Imran for “being ever willing to swear on the Holy Quran on minor affairs”, adding, “I did not even know what he kept doing in my house.” He went on to claim he had messages from former PTI leader Jehangir Tareen stating that “everything will end now”. Asserting that he could show all messages in the court, he reiterated he was unaware of the alleged “secret Nikah” between Imran and Bushra Bibi. “I was deceived. Are God’s servants like the PTI founder?”

At this point, when PTI lawyers used foul language against Maneka, who responded: “Stay within your limits. You are the same. I was mistaken to think that the PTI founder is visiting my house for religious purposes. Only when he performed the Nikah, I found out that the PTI founder had deceived me in the name of God,” Maneka said.

As Maneka continued assailing the former premier, the PTI lawyers and supporters chanted slogans, leading to the judge ordering Maneka to focus on his arguments. Judge Arjumand remarked, “I have written your points. Tell me a few more points.”

At this, Maneka continued his criticism of Imran for “destroying society and turning sisters and daughters against their parents. When I told my children that I have been divorced, they cried a lot. My mother passed away due to the grief,” he added. He said one of his daughters was divorced, claiming that Bushra Bibi had disassociated herself from her children.

Maneka’s lawyer Wali then requested the judge to transfer the appeal to another court, to which Judge Arjumand replied that a similar request of lack of confidence had already been dismissed. “I do not want you to give the verdict,” Maneka said while addressing the judge, who then sought reasons for it.

“I don’t know. The PTI founder did the same in previous courts,” Maneka replied.

The judge again asked the complainant if there was a ‘solid reason’, but Maneka only replied that Imran “played with people’s minds on social media”. The judge remarked, “Not every person sees social media posts.” One judge or the other has to decide in the end, Judge Arjumand remarked, directing Maneka to consult his counsel and then inform the court about his request.

At this point, Bushra’s counsel Usman Gill said Maneka had “only made emotional statements, and no legal arguments were offered”. Maneka told the PTI lawyers to “fear God”.

PTI lawyer Naeem Haider Panjutha alleged that Maneka “was planted” and that the court “understood what he wanted”.

Judge Arjumand observed that Maneka was repeatedly expressing a lack of confidence. At this point, PTI’s Barrister Gohar highlighted that the arguments had been concluded, urging the court to pronounce the verdict. “We have full trust in the court. Whatever the verdict will be, we will accept it,” lawyer Gill said.

Advocate Panjutha alleged that Maneka was “kidnapped after which the complaint in the Iddat case was filed”. Later, Judge Arjumand remarked, “Now, the verdict would become controversial.”

The PTI workers then raised slogans of “shame, shame” as the judge returned to his chambers.

Meanwhile, in a letter, written to the Islamabad High Court (IHC) registrar, Judge Arjumand said the appeals were “pending adjudication” while Maneka had “shown his mistrust in me today in open court”. The judge noted that while Maneka’s similar request had been dismissed earlier, he felt that it would “not be appropriate to decide the case when a specific objection has been raised on the presiding officer.”

“As arguments at length were heard in the matter, it is humbly submitted to transfer the two appeals” under Section 528 of the Code of Criminal Procedure to any other court of competent jurisdiction, the letter added.

“It is further submitted that the complainant and his counsel always tried to frustrate and delay the proceedings on one pretext or the other,” Judge Arjumand highlighted, adding that a “time-frame may be fixed for disposal of appeals”.

Later on, addressing the media outside the court, the PTI leadership reacted sharply to the non-pronouncement of decision on the appeals. They alleged that the judge was pressured not to hear the case. PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan, Secretary General Omar Ayub, Senator Shibli Faraz and Ali Muhammad Khan talked to the media.

Gohar alleged that whatever happened in the court was part of the plan and had already been decided. He said Khawar Maneka used inappropriate language in the court; the case was to be decided at 9 am today, but the prosecutor was not present. He said the judge was pressured not to hear the case. “We believe it is injustice; it is against fundamental rights; it is murder of justice. It was a case which was would have been decided in just two days but we were not allowed to present evidence; we had pinned high hopes on the judiciary.”

Omar Ayub said the case of keeping the founder of PTI and Bushra Bibi in captivity was finished, adding that Khawar Maneka spoke provocatively in the court. “However, we showed patience. In a country where there is no supremacy of Constitution and law, there can be no development,” he added. Shibli Faraz said Khawar Maneka uttered obscene remarks in the court. He said judges should do justice and alleged that delaying tactics were being used. Former minister Ali Muhammad Khan said the former prime minister was abused in the court. “I want to ask Khawar Maneka how he would remember all this after five years; this case is also fake, the founder of PTI will come out of jail soon,” he hoped.

He pointed out that the cipher case verdict was to be reserved yesterday (Tuesday), but the hearing could not be held due to the ‘Takbeer Day’ holiday and the court fixed next Monday for the hearing.