ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founding chairman Imran Khan’s lawyer in the nikkah case against him and his wife Bushra Bibi, on Monday, told the court that the complainant’s counsel left the courtroom without its permission; therefore, contempt of court proceedings should be initiated against him.

Salman Akram Raja, while arguing before district and sessions judge Sharukh Arjumand during the hearing of appeals filed by Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi against the verdict in the “Iddat” case against them, said that the court has not yet fixed a date for the next hearing then how Rizwan Abbasi, the counsel of the complainant, Khawar Maneka, left the courtroom.

He requested the court to implement the law, as Abbasi left the hearing without permission of the court. Abbasi is so confident that his request for adjournment of the hearing will be approved, he said.

Raja said that Abbasi was using delaying tactics. He (Abbasi) did not appear before the court during the previous two hearings and now he was requesting the court to adjourn the hearing for another two weeks, he said, adding that the hearing should be adjourned till Tuesday (today) or Wednesday.

The judge asked the complainant’s counsel can it be adjourned until 25. To this, Abbasi agreed to adjourn the hearing of the case till April 25; however, Khan’s lawyer adopted the stance that what is this? He (Abbasi) requested to adjourn the hearing for 15 days and you have adjourned for 10 days, Raja said. When Abbasi left the courtroom, Khan’s lawyer said that so far, the court had not fixed a date for the next hearing then how Abbasi “ran away” from the court.

PTI lawyers Usman Gull Riaz, Naeem Haider Panjotha, Niazullah Niazi, and deputy prosecutor Adnan also appeared before the court. PTI secretary general Omar Ayub also attended the hearing.

Earlier, during the hearing, Abbasi read out the judgment of the trial court before the court. He said that he would start his argument but it will not complete today. He requested the court to adjourn the hearing for arguments till the first week of May.

Khan’s counsel opposed Abbasi’s request regarding the adjournment of the hearing till the first week of May.

The judge asked Abbasi now you start arguments. Abbasi told the court that he would argue about Section 496 of CrPC. Some things were told the court contrary to the facts, he said, adding that in this case, he would take support of a black law dictionary. According to two witnesses in this case nikkah of Khan and Bushra Bibi was solemnized during Iddat, he said, adding that evidence is available that both husband and wife were aware of taking place of nikkah during Iddat. He said that he has proved that the nikkah solemnized on January 1, 2018, the marriage was illegal. According to Islamic law the duration of Iddat is 90 days, he said.

PTI founding chairman’s lawyer was annoyed over the argument made by Abbasi. The complainant’s counsel also made such kind of argument in the trial court, he said. The judge asked Abbasi how much time he needs to complete the argument. He will require four to five hours to complete the argument, he said. The court adjourned the hearing of the case till April 24.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2024