Alleged audio leaks: Pro-PTI lawyer ‘foretells’ Imran’s bail

KARACHI: In an alleged audio leak of a telephonic conversation between a pro-Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) lawyer Khawaja Tariq Raheem and Geo News correspondent Abdul Qayyum Siddiqui, the lawyer can be heard predicting that PTI Chairman Imran Khan would be granted protective bail in the Al-Qadir Trust corruption case, ahead of the former prime minister’s appearance before the Supreme Court on Thursday.

The lawyer can be heard saying that the chief justice would accept the request for Khan’s protective bail for a day and term his arrest illegal, then refer him to approach the Islamabad High Court (IHC).

In the ongoing conversation, Raheem said the IHC chief justice would raise objections and mark the case to Justice Mohsin Kayani, who would accept the PTI chief’s bail plea. Siddiqui later claimed during Shahzeb Khanzada’s show on Geo that the PTI lawyer was confident that the Supreme Court would serve a contempt-of-court notice on Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday in connection with the order to hold elections in Punjab on May 14. He stressed that his telephonic conversation with the lawyer was not off the record.Separately, another alleged audio clip purportedly of Imran Khan and PTI Punjab spokesperson Musarrat Jamshed Cheema emerged in which both apparently discussed his Tuesday’s arrest and related case hearing at the IHC. The PTI, however, said that the leaked audio was “edited” and old.

In the audio conversation, the PTI chief asked Cheema to direct Senator Azam Swati to challenge his arrest in the Supreme Court.

The PTI leader also informed the party chief that his legal team was present in the IHC and it would not leave until he was produced in the court.

Here is the complete transcript of the audio leak: Imran Khan: Mussarrat what’s the situation? Did they get the message?

Mussarat Jamshed Cheema: Sir, I have delivered the message. We are sitting here in the high court. We are saying that we will not go anywhere unless they produce Khan sahib here.

Khan: Is Khawaja Haris here?

Cheema: Both Khawaja Haris and Salman Safdar are with me, I am sitting with them, you can talk to them.

Khan: Tell Azam Swati that he should do it [file a petition] in the Supreme Court as well as what they have done is totally mala fide.

Cheema: Yes, absolutely, don’t worry sir. Khan: What is the chief justice doing... he takes the order from them.

Cheema: NAB and other people came but we said that produce him [Imran] in the court. I am sitting next to Khawaja Haris. We cannot leave like that. We will remain in the court. Your case is fixed for hearing before the chief justice.

Khan: No, but he [CJ] takes orders from them. You must talk to Azam. Cheema: Okay sir. Please take care of yourself.

PTI senior leader Barrister Hammad Azhar, meanwhile, termed the audio leak an “edited” version, adding that such efforts by the rulers would not serve any purpose. Hammad said that the audio was two days old whereas the judge mentioned in that was not that of Supreme Court, but it belonged to the IHC. He said two days ago, Imran Khan was present in the court.