Two PPP lawyers to defend their PML-N, PTI clients

ISLAMABAD: Two senior leaders of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), who are also practicing lawyers, will be in the opposing camps in a politically high profile case in the Supreme Court to defend the stalwarts of their rival political parties.

One of them, Farooq H Naek, will speak for Defence and Water & Power Minister Khawaja M Asif while Babar Awan will plead the case of Usman Dar of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).

“I will represent Khawaja Asif in the apex court,” Farooq Naek confirmed to The News when approached. “I have received the case papers from Rashideen Qasuri for study. I believe the petition will come up for hearing in the Supreme Court in the fourth week of July. We will put up strong defence.”

Babar Awan is already in the field in favour of Dar after he was asked by PTI Chairman Imran Khan to extend legal assistance to him. In some other cases including a suit for damages filed by former chief justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, he is also defending the PTI chief.

The case in the Supreme Court is obviously of utmost political importance as it involves the outspoken minister of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), whose recent remarks created a deafening controversy on the floor of the National Assembly, which is still to fully subside.

Though always in different political parties, Naek and Asif are closely related and their irreconcilable political views have not ever marred their family relations.

This is also a very vital case as Imran Khan has campaigned hard and now feels that he will be able, to quote his own cricket terminology, to take the fourth PML-N wicket of Khawaja Asif.

In the 2013 general elections, Usman Dar was defeated by Asif in NA-110 Sialkot with an edge of 21,275 votes. PPP’s Dr Firdous Asiq Awan had pulled out of the scramble at the last minute in favour of the PTI representative but her decision had not helped Dar to marginalize the PML-N nominee.

Dar’s petition was dismissed by the election tribunal as he showed no interest in pursuing it as required under the law. He subsequently approached the apex court, which has got the voting record of the constituency and handed over to the National Database & Registration Authority (Nadra) for scrutiny and examination to prepare a report on it.

The NA-110 was one of the four National Assembly constituencies where the PTI had demanded total audit. The election tribunals have already overturned the results in three constituencies including two of Lahore where Imran Khan and Hamid Khan had been routed by Sardar Ayaz Sadiq and Khawaja Saad Rafiq respectively, and one of Lodhran where Siddique Khan had defeated Jehangir Tareen. Ayaz Sadiq won the by-election. Tareen knocked out Siddique Baloch in the by-poll.

Both Farooq Naek and Babar Awan are the PPP senators and had been its law ministers during its previous government. At one stage, Awan was very close to PPP chief Asif Ali Zardari especially during his presidency, much more than anybody else. Before that, he was a confidante of Benazir Bhutto prior to her assassination. He had been representing the couple in different courts for quite some time. However, for quite some time particularly after he had been relieved as the federal minister, he had maintained a wide distance from the PPP, has moved very close to the PTI and despises the PML-N like anything.

Farooq Naek’s relationship with the PPP and Zardari has always been extremely robust and has never experienced cracks or ups and downs whether they have been in government or opposition. Naek has been a steadfast defender of Zardari in his cases in various courts. For his loyalty and commitment, he was also made chairman of the Senate.

Obviously, the PPP senators will be defending the leaders of the political forces that are opposed to their own party. The spectacle of Naek and Babar Awan being face to face in the Supreme Court, clashing for the rights of their political clients, will be quite unique, if not unsettling for some PPP leaders. Since the emergence of the Panama leaks, the PPP and PTI are cautiously breaking bread, with some PPP leaders wishing to see Imran Khan and Bilawal together on the same shipping container to protest against the Nawaz Sharif government.