PTI founder Imran Khan and his aide Shah Mahmood Qureshi reportedly lost their temper before the special court judge Abul Hasnat Zulqarnain on Saturday.
The special court is hearing the cypher case against the PTI leaders who face charges of leaking state secrets under the Official Secrets Act and other laws.
It has been holding hearings inside the Adiala jail.
On Saturday, when Judge Hasnat opened the hearing, he found defence lawyers absent from the courtroom.
The judge expressed his displeasure over the absence of lawyers and issued a warning — a third in the case so far.
Meanwhile, Qureshi snatched a file from the state defence counsel and threw it on the wall.
The former foreign minister also tried to engage the judge in an altercation.
Judge Hasnat warned Qureshi for his conduct.
This was when the former prime minister also used strong words for the judge.
The lawyers for Khan and Qureshi have been absent from the court for the past several hearings, prompting Judge Hasnat to write to the high court, which has provided state counsel to both accused.
While responding to the judge, Khan said: “How those lawyers will represent us on whom we don’t have any trust.”
He went on to describe it as a “joke”, adding that for the past three months, he has been asking for permission to meet his lawyers.
Permission was not being granted despite filing a request several times, he said and informed the court that the case could not proceed without discussion.
To the bitter tone of Khan, the judge remarked that he had given the maximum relief to him. Hasnat added that the application related to providing a bicycle or meeting lawyers had been approved.
According to the judge’s record, there were 75 applications related to meetings.
The former prime minister agreed with the judge that an order was issued for the meeting, however, it did not materialise. He wondered how someone could be barred from entering the jail during the open trial.
Qureshi also described the trial as a “joke”, saying that both sides were being presented by the government.
The judge asked the former foreign minister to interrogate the lawyers if he wanted to. He reminded the accused that his lawyers failed to appear in court despite giving three dates for the case.
Such a “government drama” would not last long, Qureshi said and wondered about the trial’s effect on the court’s sanctity.
Judge Hasnat stated that he could have ended the right to defence, but he still gave the right to provide state counsel to them.
He added that he had to arrive in the court because of the custody. “I am tired of ordering, but your lawyers do not appear in the court. The Supreme Court in its order said that the court can cancel bail applications if there are obstacles in the trial.”
Qureshi replied that SC’s decision on the bail application was also mocked. Khan’s aide added that he was arrested in another case after getting out of jail.
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The judge questioned the possible motives behind the delay in the case, to which the former foreign minister replied that no one lived in jail because of their own free will.
He stated that he wanted to have his lawyer as he doesn’t believe in state counsels. To this, the lawyer asked him to call his lawyer.
Qureshi added that their case was being defended by the lawyers nominated by the prosecution. “It proves that the decision will be against us.”
He urged the court to allow him to speak to Barrister Gohar Khan. The court granted the permission.
Later, the PTI founder also urged the court to allow him to speak to his lawyer Sikander Zulqarnain. The judge ordered the police to follow the request.
The statements of the witnesses in the case could not be cross-examined.
