Govt urges courts to avoid ‘prioritising’ PTI appeal

LAHORE:

In the wake of the Al-Qadir Trust case verdict, Information Minister Ataullah Tarar has urged superior courts to refrain from hearing any appeal against the decision out of turn, expressing concern about the clarity of the case, which has often been labelled “open and shut”.

While Punjab Senior Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb advised PTI not to file a review petition due to what she described as “glaring evidence” against them, provincial Information Minister Azma Bukhari raised doubts about PTI’s claim that it could get the decision overturned by superior courts.

She stressed that the superior courts should carefully consider such claims that could undermine their credibility.

Azma’s comments made it clear that if PTI succeeded in reversing the decision, PML-N would view it as nothing more than a “fixed match”.

Capitalizing on the window of opportunity created by the Al Qadir trust case’s ruling, PML-N Information wing leaders held a string of press conferences in Lahore, either to justify or to emphasise the rationale behind a decision that has left many legal experts raising questions.

In their separate press conferences, all three PML-N leaders pointed the finger at Imran Khan, Shehzad Akbar and Bushra Bibi as the prime culprits in this case, despite the entire cabinet being in the same boat when it came to giving the controversial ‘letter’ their stamp of approval.

The PML-N leaders also seemed confused regarding the fate of the 190 million pounds in question. The federal information minister claimed that the legal team was working on recovering the money, while the provincial Information minister seemed to suggest that the Supreme Court had already handed over the funds under outgoing CJ Qazi Faiz Esa on 23 November 2023.

In response to a question, Tarar clarified that the letter, which the government has been using to build a public case against Imran, would only be brought on record when the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) deemed it appropriate. He added that the letter might be used in later stages of the appeal process.

However, despite the prosecution securing rigorous imprisonment for PTI founding chairman Imran Khan, the letter was not part of the case record, casting doubts on the decision.

Speaking at the press conference, Tarar explained that the Asset Recovery Unit (ARU) had classified the money as corruption-tainted and bribe money.

On the question of why the entire cabinet was not held accountable, the minister responded that only those who benefited directly from the scandal – Imran Khan and his wife – were responsible.

He also stressed that any appeal in superior courts should be heard on a “first in, first out” basis, and no case should be taken up out of turn. He said he would appeal that this case be taken when it lands with the courts on its turn.

Azma Bukhari, speaking to The Express Tribune, rejected the notion that PML-N’s predictions of a harsh punishment before the decision’s announcement amounted to a “fixed match”.

She clarified that their assessments were based on the facts available to the public, not on insider information. When asked about the lack of the NCA letter or correspondence in the case, Azma claimed that a new press release from the NCA had been shared with the media, which would address this concern. However, no such press release was made available to reporters.

She also argued that the NCA was returning the money to Pakistan, but the Pakistani side had provided it with the wrong account details.

Regarding the claim of a “witch hunt,” Azma said while she was not aware of the specifics of the case, generally speaking, the cabinet ministers had been the first to object to the dubious dealings.