Panamagate case: Naeem Bukhari named as PTI lead counsel

Babar Awan relegated to secondary role

ISLAMABAD: PTI Chairman Imran Khan has nominated Naeem Bukhari as lead counsel of his legal team in the Panama leaks case and assigned Babar Awan to support him – a role that the latter has serious reservations to take on.

Soon after his return from a three-day visit to London, the PTI chairman on Tuesday conferred with his close aides over finding a replacement to Hamid Khan, who had declined to continue as lead counsel after his media bashing for not being able to plead the case convincingly.

Khan eventually announced the name of Naeem Bukhari as the lead lawyer to present his case against the Sharif family before the top court that would resume hearing in the case on November 30.



The announcement might have pacified reservations of a strong group within the PTI that was opposing any move to give Babar Awan the role as new team leader, but it did not end the crisis for the PTI chief as Babar Awan may not assume a backseat role in the courtroom.

“He will be part of the team but would not appear before the Supreme Court to assist Bukhari,” sources close to Awan said, adding, he also held a special meeting with the PTI chief Tuesday night.

The Sources confirmed that Awan has developed a personal link with Khan. The Supreme Court has already notified Awan as senior advocate of the country, while Bukhari has yet to get the status of senior counsel by the apex court.

Hamid Khan, who has a long political affiliation with the PTI, already suggested the party leadership to nominate Bukhari to argue the case before the Supreme Court larger bench. Bukhari has also got ‘wakalatnama’ from the PTI chief to plead his case in the Election Commission of Pakistan.

A PTI insider said Khan is interested in nominating Awan as the main counsel, but he faced immense resistance from many of his close aides – including his legal team.



“Naeem Bokhari will lead our lawyers’ team now as Hamid Khan left the case after sheer pressure from the media,” Khan told media persons at his residence, Bani Gala on Tuesday.

The PTI chief said he failed to understand as to where this Qatari prince came from in the plot all of a sudden. Khan is hopeful that his lawyers would bring forward all things relevant to the case.

Meanwhile, the PTI chief announced a four-member legal team on the Panamagate case. Headed by Naeem Bukhari, its members include: Babar Awan, Sikandar Momand and Malaika Bukhari.

Also, the PTI senior leadership has approached former attorney general Anwar Mansoor Khan to represent the party (PTI) in Hanif Abbasi case. Anwar confirmed that the PTI leadership has contacted him to represent the party, saying he will take a decision in this regard early Wednesday.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 23^rd, 2016.