12 April 2004	Monday	21 Safar 1425

ISLAMABAD, April 11: District and Sessions Judge Ch Asad Raza is likely to pronounce his verdict in the case of Makhdoom Javed Hashmi, the acting president of PML-N , on Monday at a time when his party is busy chalking out plans to welcome its president Mian Shahbaz Sharif.

Mr Hashmi shot to prominence for his bold comments on the military rule and was arrested for distributing a letter at a press conference in which it was alleged that the present military regime had compromised on the vital national interests.

He was booked on October 29, 2003 on charges of defaming the government and army, inciting mutiny, defaming army officers, and forging documents. Javed Hashmi's trial, unlike the trial of other political figures in the past, was held in jail where no journalist was allowed to cover the proceedings.

Javed Hashmi had sought an open trial and cited the cases of the late Z.A. Bhutto and Mian Nawaz Sharif in support of his demand but his request was turned down. When the district and sessions judge allowed the correspondent of a foreign media establishment, the government got it stayed from the LHC Rawalpindi bench on the grounds that it would set a precedent for the other journalists to seek permission to cover the proceedings.

Unlike, the trial of Asif Ali Zardari or other political figures where a battery of lawyers does not allow the courts to proceed smoothly, there is hardly a lawyer for Javed Hashmi.