ATC initiates action against PTI lawyer in Manika torture case

ISLAMABAD: The court of Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) Judge Tahir Abbas Supra on Thursday initiated proceedings against Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) lawyer Ali Ijaz Buttar in connection with the alleged torture of Khawar Manika during the hearing of the Nikah during Iddat case.

The court took action after Buttar repeatedly failed to appear despite being summoned. Proceedings were adjourned until December 6 after other lawyers in the case appeared before the court. The case against the PTI lawyers had been registered at Ramna Police Station.

In a separate case, Additional District and Sessions Judge Afzal Majuka adjourned the hearing till Saturday on a plea seeking the removal of the state counsel in the controversial tweets case against Iman Mazari and Hadi Ali Chatha. The court indicated that a verdict would be announced following arguments on Saturday.

At the outset of the hearing, both accused appeared before the court. On behalf of Chatha, lawyer Samiullah Wazir submitted a power of attorney, after which the court canceled the non-bailable arrest warrants for both Mazari and Chatha.

Iman Mazari requested additional time to appoint legal counsel, asserting that “the speed at which this case is being conducted is violating our rights — we are being punished for speaking the truth.”

Judge Majuka observed that the court had already read out the indictment three times in the presence of lawyers. Chatha requested that the state counsel be withdrawn, to which the judge clarified that the counsel had been appointed by the relevant committee and not by the court itself, adding that only that committee could remove it.

The court directed that arguments regarding the state counsel be presented on Saturday, after which the verdict would be announced. The hearing was then adjourned till Saturday.