ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) on Saturday criticised the absence of the judge of special court hearing cases under the Official Secrets Act as there was no proceedings on the bail plea of Shah Mehmood Qureshi and the hearing was put off till Sept 11.

The hearing on the post-arrest petition of Mr Qureshi in the cipher case was due on Saturday. However, when the legal team of PTI headed by Advocate Syed Ali Bukhari reached the court, they were informed that Judge Abul Hasnat Mohammad Zulqarnain was on leave.

PTI General Secretary Omar Ayub Khan wrote on X: “Judge Hasnat decided to take leave and disappear when former PM and Chairman PTI Imran Khan and Vice Chairman Makhdoom Shah Mehmood Qureshi’s case comes up for hearing. He has pulled this stunt 3 times just to avoid hearing the case and delay the proceedings.”

However, sources in the judiciary said the spouse of Judge Hasnat was sick and in a critical condition.

They said the judge was on a five-day leave last week. He resumed the office on Sept 4. The sources said the judge took a day leave on Saturday to look after his ailing wife and will be back on the next working day.

Published in Dawn, September 10th, 2023