ISLAMABAD: Officers of the capital police and administration on Wednesday met with the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) chairman and a judge to discuss security arrangements inside and outside the courts and the number of people who will be allowed inside during the Panama Papers case hearing on Thursday.

The chief commissioner, IGP Islamabad, SSP security wing and other officials met with the NAB chairman in the morning and with a NAB judge in the afternoon.

The meeting with the NAB judge was conducted to get a reply to a letter written to the bureau by the deputy commissioner earlier, seeking guidelines over the appearance of lawyers during the hearing.

It was decided that 60 people will be allowed into the court room during the hearing including a team of 15 people consisting of the legal team, guards and supporters who will accompany the former prime minister, his daughter and son-in-law into the courtroom.

A group of 15 people from the NAB prosecution side, including the legal team and investigators, will be allowed into the courtroom. Another group of 15 people each from the media and representatives of various bar councils will also be allowed in.

Officers of the capital administration and the police also met to discuss the issue regarding the appearance of a large number of lawyers at the NAB courts during the hearing as a law and order situation was created during the last hearing in which at least one police official, an inspector, was manhandled by the lawyer.

The high court’s order for not intercepting lawyers coming to the NAB courts for the Panama Papers case hearing was discussed and it was decided the order will be obeyed so any untoward situation is avoided.

Published in Dawn, October 19th, 2017