UKPCCI blames SC lawyer for violence, Kalanouri says he will take legal action

LONDON: The UK Pakistan Chamber of Commerce & Industries (UKPCCI) and Supreme Court lawyer Zafar Kalanouri has blamed each other for the violence during the dams’ fundraising event on Sunday night at the Inter-Continental Hotel where Chief Justice Honourable Saqib Nisar was the chief guest and present when the ugly scene broke out.

The rowdy incident started when dinner was being served and all guests were seated. The CJP was sharing the head table with officials of the UKPCCI and many other dignitaries of the community. A tight security ring was thrown around the main table and only those wearing red bands were allowed by the security to get near the main table.

The organisers said that Zafar kalanouri attempted to reach the table of the Chief Justice who was busy eating dinner – unaware of the argument taking place between Zafar Kalanouri and the security staff. Its understood that the security staff refused to allow the Supreme Court lawyer to move forward. Zafar Kalanouri had made speech to the audience earlier in the evening.

Waheed ur Rehman Mian, General Secretary of the UKPCCI who is also PTI’s London president, told this scribe that “Zafar Iqbal Kalanouri tried to reach the CJP and was stopped by the security, at which point he went into a rage shouting abuse in English and then Urdu”.

He said: “He was not attacked by the security at any time, and should he feel he was, he is welcome to file a case in the British Courts. At every point senior personnel tried to calm him down but he carried on with his abuse and became a threat to everyone in the room. At this point the security team had to take him out of the hall. His abusive language was directed at all the organisers as well as the CJP himself. Due to this disturbance we had to stop the fund raising and the auction was not carried out which could have attracted at least £200,000 more towards the total funds.”

Waheed ur Rehman Mian added: “For the remainder of the evening all guests were invited onto the stage, whether donating or not to take photographs with the CJP, and for him to thank them personally. It has just come to our knowledge that this individual has been recovering from an illness, and it is quite possible that due to that it could be a medical condition for him to act the way he did.”

The scribe witnessed that while some people tried to calm down the situation, several members of the security – including a few individuals who were not wearing security passed – rounded on Zafar Kalanouri. The guests wanted to see from close quarters what was happening and that created a claustrophobic situation. His wife was heard crying while Zafar kalanouri sat on the ground complaining of heart attack.

Zafar Kalanouri told The News that attack on him was planned and he was “targeted”.

He blamed a leading British Pakistani businessman, who is close to PM Imran Khan and PTI’s London President Waheed ur Rehman as being behind the attack. Zafar Kalanouri said Rehman had no right to issue statement against him. “The attack was deliberate. It was planned and sponsored by someone who claims to be very close to Imran Khan and acts as his advisor. I am not an unknown person, they knew who I was and they were trying to attack me for many days. This was all intentional. This attack is not on me but also on the judiciary of Pakistan. I can say with certainty that Indian hand is involved in attack on me. My whole bar is with me and they have shown support to me for violence on me and my wife. I will be issuing a full clarification when I reach Pakistan in two days. I am thankful to the British government, the police, the hotel management and the hospital services who have been helpful to me and showed care.”

He added: I will take up this issue at the national level. I will take legal action in UK and Pakistan.”

Zafar Kalanori’s wife told this scribe that the security was to be blamed for attack on her husband. She said that Zafar Kalanoria was targeted and it’s a lie that he tried to reach the table of CJP. She said that Zafar was picked up by the security and she was assaulted in the stampede by the security.