PESHAWAR: A former president of Supreme Court Bar Association and provincial chief of Insaf Lawyers Forum, Qazi Mohammad Anwar, has expressed concern over the ongoing trial of former prime minister Imran Khan in the ‘cipher case’ stating that the special court had not been providing opportunity of fair trial to him.

He stated that Article 10-A of the Constitution guarantees fair trial to a citizen and was a fundamental right, but the former prime minister had been denied the said right.

In a statement issued here, Qazi Anwar, who has also twice served as president of the Peshawar High Court Bar Association, stated that the attitude of the trial judge was hostile towards Imran Khan and former foreign minister and PTI leader Shah Mahmood Qureshi. He apprehended that apparently the court was in a hurry to convict them before the general elections.

The senior lawyer stated that despite strong objections raised by the Mr Khan the court had appointed defence lawyers for them, which was sheer injustice to the two defendants.

He said that if Mr Khan and Mr Qureshi were convicted after such a trial it would be unconstitutional and injustice to the defendants and would also result in defaming the country across the world.

Qazi Anwar said that such a trial would also raise questions over the general elections.

He said that the legal fraternity in the country always stood for rule of law and supremacy of the constitution and would never accept the outcome of an ‘unfair’ trial.

Published in Dawn, January 29th, 2024