Panama Leaks: Live From Courtroom No 2

ISLAMABAD: The long wait is over. More than 300 people heard Shahid Hamid, counsel for daughter of Prime Minister Nawaz in the Courtroom No2 on Tuesday. Hamid argued in support of his client Maryam Nawaz Sharif amid a chilly day began with drizzling in Islamabad where the country’s top court was hearing a landmark Panama Leaks case.

More than four hundreds security personnel were welcoming journalists, lawyers, politicians and diplomats who somehow were seen in competition with: “Who would pass into Gate No 114 first?”

Yes, it was MNA Dr Shireen Mazari of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf who managed to take first seat just fixed 11 feet away from worthy judges who were looking afresh. Before Taufiq Asif, counsel for Jamaat-e-Islami started amusing judges and others, many lawyers were of the view that Asif had badly broken the trail of arguments in this case.

Then a moment came over when a judge called spade and spade: “Mr counsel—you were putting some wrong facts, almost irrelevant to your prayer. This was the time when Shah Mahmood Qureshi of PTI asked JI Ameer Siraj-ul-Haq “Siraj Sahib what is he [Mr Asif] doing?—he was literally spoiling the case.”

It was third consecutive day JI Ameer was receiving criticism from many well-wishers, leaders of PTI in particular. He seemed helpless when his counsel was not making any headway. The JI's legal team perhaps failed to live up to his client’s expectations in the Leaks’ case.

The JI’s legal team took six long hours of the apex court to build his arguments but judges apparently did not buy the references. Before the tea break begins, Asif earned judges’ ire. "You [Mr counsel] are defacing your client's case," one of the respected judges observed. If it was not enough then came Sheikh Ahsan Uddin for Asif's assistance just to wind up his arguments before the tea break. Ahsan citied one irrelevant reference with a Punjab verse reads in English: “We will continue to write a letter no matter what it meant for—just because we love your name.” The court echoed with a loud guffaw when Justice Azmat Saeed remarked "these lines did not fit to your age Mr counsel."

Despite earning a lot of criticism, Asif was of the view that he was satisfied with his arguments. "I've presented my case even better than the other counsels," he told this correspondent.

The legal teams from both parties have citied references of more than 170 cases before a-five-member-judge-bench being headed by Justice Asif Saeed Khan Khosa who also dropped a hint on Tuesday that the top court could summon anybody, including Premier Sharif, if it needs so.

Amid this amusement Shahid Hamid took the rostrum and started defending Respondent No 6, Maryam Nawaz Sharif. It was the time when everybody was keen to hear him. Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Chairman was whispering somewhat into ears of Shah Mahmood Qureshi and Fawad Chaudhry that “first father shifted burden to kids then now it was daughter who put burden of proof on brothers. Game of hide and seek continues.”

As Ayesha Hamid continued to assist her father in the courtroom, journalist Kashif Abbasi standing behind his wife Meher Bokhari was witnessing the course of arguments. Both wife and husband were covering this case. As Hamid continued to find loopholes in petitioners’ prayers, murmurs and whispers spread everywhere in completely packed courtroom, particularly in camps of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz and PTI.

“Arguments of JI’s legal team were not more than a bad comedy show,” observed one of PTI female legislators. “PTI’s legislators have nothing to eat today—not a good day for them. It was our day,” whispered Mussadik Malik into ears of MNA Maiza Hameed. Prime Minister Special Assistant on Legal Affairs Zafarullah Khan entered into the courtroom when proceedings were over.

As time passed over, Hamid was getting warmed up to prolong his arguments in the court where many lawyers were looking for vacant seats. But to find a vacant chair remained a pipe dream in the hall where many ushers were napping after the tea break. MNA Aisha Syed of JI was the only female in the courtroom who was wearing ‘niqab.’ She was sitting next to JI Ameer who always kept writing “Ya Hayyu—Ya Qayyum” on his notebook.

Another moment came out when a senior journalist murmured into ears of MNA Shafqat Mahmood that “look at PML-N’s lady minister sitting next to MNA Mazari—perhaps she used a lot of cosmetics today.”

It was Fawad Chaudhry of PTI who continuously kept feeding Imran Khan about the ongoing trail of arguments being presented before the judges. But no one was seriously taking notes on behalf of PTI as compare to the respondents' counsels who took notes of all proceedings, which have prolonged to 54 hours now.

Between all this, majority of audience were in firmed belief that Wednesday (today) would be a very tough day for the Sharifs’ legal team, Shahid Hamid in particular. Hamid would be answering all striking questions judges have been asking for since the October 29, 2016, one of lawyers told his colleague sitting next to Senator Rana Tanveer.

Then a sudden moment visited the court when Imran Khan told Shah Mahmood Qureshi silently that “we should raise issue of threatening calls [pertaining to Leaks' case] given by Law Minister Punjab Rana Sanaullah and Railways Affairs Minister Khawaja Saad Rafique. Both N-leaguers were said to be commenting on the ongoing proceedings into the Leaks’ case in public gatherings.

Before Imran Khan left the courtroom, Hamid was of the view that his client (Maryam Nawaz’s) basic rights were disturbed by the petitioners while the apex court was hearing this case under Article 184/3 of the Constitution. Khan left 12 minutes earlier after he was advised by his advisor Naeem-ul-Haq so that PTI leaders could talk media persons before the PML-N leaders engage them (media persons).

“Khan Sahib come 10 minutes before the case adjourns—otherwise ye [PML-N waly] media pe take over kar lety hain,” Haq whispered into Imran Khan’s ears. He left 20 minutes before as he was planning to take tea at cafeteria, perhaps the worst hygienic area in the court. As the clock stroke 1pm, judges left the hall where the government’s legal team was looking in happy mood even Prime Minister’s counsel Makhdoom Ali Khan patted Hamid as saying “well-done man.”

As journalists kept engaging the decent looking Makhdoom Ali Khan near the rostrum after the proceedings, this correspondent never saw anyone from other parties who could guide the journos covering this case. Despite heavy rain, senior journalists continued running their 'Live Facebook Show' which depicted whole picture of the case in better way.