Outside help arrives as Afaq prepares to argue his cases himself
If the two pro bono counsel agree to represent him, the MQM-H leader can sit back.
KARACHI:
Afaq Ahmed may have won the court’s permission to be his own lawyer but his real work lies ahead. None of the prisons in Sindh have libraries with the law books and materials that he may need to consult in order to prepare to argue his cases.
The beleaguered chairman of the Mohajir Qaumi Movement (MQM-Haqiqi) will have to rely on some outside help. It appears that this will come, in part, in the form of Syed Iqbal Kazmi, a social worker who runs an NGO, and who is Afaq’s legally constituted attorney.
“I am preparing the case for Afaq Ahmed and will be giving him the case laws, photocopies of the judgments that are relevant or identical to [his] case,” said Kazmi while talking to The Express Tribune. “He will be able to go through them and prepare to face questions in court [or challenging] arguments from the other side.”
Most people standing trial are well aware of the facts against them and only need legal support so that they can “weave arguments to convince the court”, Kazmi went on to explain.
But Kazmi is only Afaq’s attorney or legal representative and not a qualifed lawyer. This means that he cannot act as Afaq’s lawyer as he (Kazmi) is not a member of the bar. He can stand in to speak for Afaq, say if the MQM-H leader cannot make it to court. But if Afaq is in court, Kazmi cannot speak for him. He can, however, assist him by providing material and books. The two men who can argue Afaq’s case in court are Anwar Mansoor Khan, who is the president of the Sindh High Court Bar Association, and Abid Zuberi, the secretary of the association.
The Sindh High Court appointed them as Afaq’s pro bono counsel on Friday after the prisoner complained that no lawyer was prepared to represent him out of fear. As pro bono counsel they will provide Afaq their services for free. Normally, lawyers honour such requests from a court and if this happens, the MQM-H leader would have two of the best city lawyers representing him and he would not necessarily have to personally plead his cases.
If he argues his own case, Afaq will have to prepare on citiations (case laws or previous judgments he can cite to support his arguments).
Published in The Express Tribune, November 13th, 2011.
Afaq Ahmed may have won the court’s permission to be his own lawyer but his real work lies ahead. None of the prisons in Sindh have libraries with the law books and materials that he may need to consult in order to prepare to argue his cases.
The beleaguered chairman of the Mohajir Qaumi Movement (MQM-Haqiqi) will have to rely on some outside help. It appears that this will come, in part, in the form of Syed Iqbal Kazmi, a social worker who runs an NGO, and who is Afaq’s legally constituted attorney.
“I am preparing the case for Afaq Ahmed and will be giving him the case laws, photocopies of the judgments that are relevant or identical to [his] case,” said Kazmi while talking to The Express Tribune. “He will be able to go through them and prepare to face questions in court [or challenging] arguments from the other side.”
Most people standing trial are well aware of the facts against them and only need legal support so that they can “weave arguments to convince the court”, Kazmi went on to explain.
But Kazmi is only Afaq’s attorney or legal representative and not a qualifed lawyer. This means that he cannot act as Afaq’s lawyer as he (Kazmi) is not a member of the bar. He can stand in to speak for Afaq, say if the MQM-H leader cannot make it to court. But if Afaq is in court, Kazmi cannot speak for him. He can, however, assist him by providing material and books. The two men who can argue Afaq’s case in court are Anwar Mansoor Khan, who is the president of the Sindh High Court Bar Association, and Abid Zuberi, the secretary of the association.
The Sindh High Court appointed them as Afaq’s pro bono counsel on Friday after the prisoner complained that no lawyer was prepared to represent him out of fear. As pro bono counsel they will provide Afaq their services for free. Normally, lawyers honour such requests from a court and if this happens, the MQM-H leader would have two of the best city lawyers representing him and he would not necessarily have to personally plead his cases.
If he argues his own case, Afaq will have to prepare on citiations (case laws or previous judgments he can cite to support his arguments).
Published in The Express Tribune, November 13th, 2011.