ISLAMABAD: During Thursday’s hearing of the Judicial Commission (JC), Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) counsel Abdul Hafeez Pirzada contended that its proceedings could not be considered as a trial and, therefore, no clear evidence was strictly required. The PTI counsel said in view of some examples of similar commissions from around the world, the JC would have to give its decision on the basis of statements of the officials, scrutiny of record and ‘generally prevailed perception’. Justice Ameer Hani Muslim told Pirzada that his latest reply was simply an elaboration of points he already submitted on April 15. “Where is the evidence?” Justice Hani asked Pirzada and to which PTI counsel responded by saying that his latest submissions were highly comprehensive. Chief Justice Nasirul Mulk also made it clear to Pirzada that his response must very clearly describe as to what exactly the plan or design of rigging was. “Who made this rigging plan, where and how it was executed and by whom,” the chief justice asked Pirzada. However, crux of Pirzada’s arguments was that inspection of election record; statements of witnesses and general perception were the only evidence on which basis the commission should proceed forward. Pirzada also prayed that election material of 38 constituencies for which Nadra reports were submitted should be sealed, but judges told him that record was already safe and relied on assurance of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) counsel. When The News asked PTI chief Imran Khan in Courtroom No-1 at the conclusion of Thursday’s hearing if his counsel Pirzada was not mainly depending on the statements of 13 witnesses, but how these would establish rigging while witnesses like Nabeel Gabol and Hamid Mir had no official capacity to make any statements, Imran and Shafqat Mehmood responded that Hamid Mir had aired programmes on rigging. Asked how an anchor of a programme could become “witness” of some happening like rigging simply by virtue of hosting a programme, Abdul Hafeez Pirzada, who was accompanying the PTI chief stopped him from responding to The News question. However, Imran Khan replied while pointing towards Abdul Hafeez Pirzada that he would elaborate this point during his arguments. Earlier, when Aitzaz Ahsan rose on his seat to come to rostrum and forward his arguments, Imran Khan smiled by looking towards Shah Mehmood Qureshi saying, “Aitzaz is coming”. When Aitzaz Ahsan started narrating his proposals, Qureshi signalled PTI chief suggesting that PPP leader’s arguments carried no weight. At the conclusion of hearing, Imran Khan told his party leaders that the remarks given by Aitzaz Ahsen were useless. However, interestingly, when he came out of court and spoke to media he appreciated Aitzaz Ahsan.
