Justice Mandokhail rebukes Hamid Khan for 'weak' court criticism

Justice Mandokhail urges Hamid Khan to choose his words carefully.

Listen to article

Hamid Khan, the lawyer for Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founding chairman Imran Khan, targeted the judiciary triggering a rebuke from Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail during a Supreme Court hearing on Monday.

The court, led by Justice Aminuddin Khan, adjourned the hearing of a petition filed by former PTI chairman Imran Khan, over fraud allegations related to the 2024 general elections.

The six-member bench adjourned the case indefinitely to give the petitioner’s legal counsel more time to address objections raised by the court’s registrar.

During the hearing Hamid Khan criticised the judiciary for not taking suo motu notice of election-related issues, calling it "weak." In response, Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail advised the senior lawyer to mind his language, saying, “You are a senior lawyer; choose your words carefully.”

The bench highlighted procedural complexities, with Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar advising the petitioner’s counsel to come prepared for the next hearing. Justice Mandokhail also questioned whether the entire election could be deemed flawed, noting the potential need for separate inquiries into each constituency.

Hamid Khan argued the court had jurisdiction under Article 184(3) of the Constitution, but the bench reminded him of the need to exhaust relevant forums before approaching the apex court.

The court granted time for Hamid Khan to address the registrar’s objections.

PTI to challenge Al-Qadir Trust ruling

Meanwhilem the PTI is all set to challenge the judgment in the £190 million Al-Qadir Trust case before the high court on January 21 (Tuesday), saying the decision is "controversial" and party founder Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi were "wrongly" convicted.

PTI Central Information Secretary Sheikh Waqas Akram confirmed on Sunday that the party would file an appeal to quash what it termed an "egregious miscarriage of justice".

He hoped that the names of former PTI supremo Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi would be cleared in the first hearing, deploring the judgment as "a blatant travesty of justice driven by political motivations and fabricated charges".

The decision to appeal followed a core committee meeting that reviewed the legal and political ramifications of the verdict amid ongoing negotiations with the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N).

The committee endorsed party chairman Barrister Gohar Khan's announcement that the talks with the PML-N-led coalition would continue until the set deadline for a government response to PTI's demands.