ISLAMABAD: Additional District and Sessions judge Muhammad Afzal Majoka hearing the iddat case against Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founding chairman Imran Khan and his wife, on Monday, remarked that he is bound by the Islamabad High Court (IHC)’s schedule regarding the case, if the IHC makes any change in it then he follows it; otherwise, he will decide the case.

Judge Majoka, while hearing the main appeals of Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi in the iddat case, said that he would inform the IHC that a session court has approved the complainant’s plea seeking to adjourn the hearing of the iddat case. He will move forward as per the directions of the IHC, the judge said.

The judge further said that if the IHC directs him to announce the judgment of the case at 3pm then he will announce it. He is bound by the IHC schedule regarding deciding the case within one month; if the IHC makes any change in this schedule then it is right, otherwise, he will decide the case.

It is pertinent to mention here that the IHC on June 12 directed the sessions court to decide Khan’s and his wife’s pleas against their convictions in the iddat case within one month.

At the start of the hearing, Khawar Maneka, the complainant and former husband of Bushra Bibi filed a plea before the court seeking adjournment in the case.

He requested the court to adjourn the hearing of the iddat case till 11th Muharram.

Khan and his wife’s legal team Barrister Salman Safdar, Usman Gull, and Khalid Yousaf Chaudhry appeared before the court.

Safdar, Bushra Bibi’s counsel objected to Maneka’s plea seeking to adjourn the case.

The judge said that the sessions judge has approved the complainant’s adjournment plea and he will inform IHC in this regard.

To this, Safdar said that this is a direction case then how can a sessions judge grant adjournment in this case? If the complainant wanted to change his lawyer then change it, he said, adding that what a joke that a junior counsel file such kind of plea before the court.

During the hearing, Safdar told the court to grant him 15 minutes he would submit a reply to the petition then the court would decide it.

Safdar read out the plea seeking adjournment before the court and stated that Zahid Asif Chaudhary, the complainant’s counsel did not mention the iddat case in the plea.

The judge told Safdar to complete his argument, and he would write to the IHC and then the court would hear it on Tuesday. Safdar told the court to take a break for one hour to receive IHC’s directions. He requested the court to consult the sessions judge; this is an IHC direction case and IHC ordered the court to decide it till July 12.

The court took a short break.

The court, resuming hearing after the break, said that he had informed the IHC about Maneka’s plea.

He will see the case according to the directions of the IHC, the judge said.

The court asked Safdar to present his arguments.

Maneka’s lead counsel Zahid Chaudhry’s associate objected to Safdar’s arguments.

He said that the defense counsel should present his arguments after the IHC’s directions.

Bushra Bibi’s counsel said that the appeals of his client had been delayed for three months, the day Judge Sharukh Arjumand had to decide the case the complainant expressed no confidence in him. Maneka either changed his lawyer or his lawyer should submit written arguments before the court, he said.

Maneka’s counsel said that Khan and Bushra Bibi’s counsel can move to sessions or IHC.

The sessions court has approved his client’s plea seeking adjournment in the case therefore now this court could not hear this case, he said.

Safdar told the court that one plea has been filed by Maneka’s lawyer and we are also filing an application, the court will look into it and make a decision.

The court took a break till filling an application by Bushra Bibi’s lawyer.

The court resumed hearing after Safdar filed an application against the complainant’s plea seeking to adjourn the case.

The court adjourned the hearing of the case till Tuesday.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2024