Live from Courtroom No2

 PanamaLeaks Case

ISLAMABAD: It was a 30-minute tea break when top leadership of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf came out of the closet in the Courtroom No 2, revealing her future strategy 'how to exploit the situation arising out of PanamaLeaks in Parliament in coming weeks.'

The Leaks’ issue is a boon for us, PTI Chairman Imran Khan told his colleagues while sitting in a small hall of the apex court completely packed with more than 250 politicians, journalists, diplomats, legislators, lawyers and supportive staff of judges on Wednesday.

“PanamaLeaks an                 d Zardari’s possible entry [into the National Assembly] are our boon companions — we will definitely enjoy ourselves the moment. For PML-N, we’ve slogan of Panama corruption and for PPP we have ‘Sary Mahel’ (Surrey Palace) and $60 million stashed through money laundering in Swiss banks,” Khan said while sitting next to Jehangir Tareen who kept engaged Sirajul Haq, Amir Jamaat-e-Islami during the course of proceedings.

PTI's MNAs Shah Mehmood Qureshi and Dr Shireen Mazari were sitting behind Mr Khan and were speaking highly of Qamar Zaman Kaira and Aitzaz Ahsan of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) in particular who, according to them, were giving tough time to the government.

But serious-looking Mr Qureshi was of the view that PPP might review its decision before former president Zardari made his way to Parliament. PTI’s entire top leadership was sitting next to rostrum, whispering in one another ears while her lead lawyer Naeem Bokhari lasted his arguments for 170 minutes.

The learned judges looked fresh and listened to Mr Bokhari’s arguments even they gave an ample opportunity to Imran Khan and Sheikh Rashid of Pakistan Awami Muslim League to express their feelings on this issue.

 Dozens of people could not get entered the heavily guarded courtroom, even some of visitors slightly scuffled with security officials. Yet, the noise interrupted Mr Bokhari who started his arguments with Qatri Prince’s letter written in favour of the Responded No 1 — Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif — last year.

More than a dozen PML-N legislators also were witnessing proceedings of this case where Attorney General of Pakistan Ashtar Ausaf Ali was taking notes sitting next to Makhdoom Ali Khan, Counsel for Premier Sharif who was ordered by Justice Khosa to produce year-based-profile of his client’s public offices since 1980. Wearing black ‘shalwar qamees’ with equally black muffler and upper, Mr Khan kept reciting ‘Tasbih’ expressed happiness when the court decided to hear Panama case daily. The Courtroom twinkled with 39 smaller and bigger lights also witnessed numerous amusing movements when Naeem Bokhari slightly whispered name of Indian famous actress Katrina Kaif at rostrum. During the course of proceedings, MNAs Talal Chaudhry and Daniyal Aziz looked quite busy in coordinating with the Sharifs’ legal team. Salman Akram Raja, Counsel for Hussain Nawaz, witnessed proceedings, sitting on one of the chairs fixed to second row, some ten feet away from windows decorated with beautiful hundreds of books.

Tough questions were asked by learned judges where Justice Khosa in particular kept engage Naeem Bokhari asking him 'remain to the point while presenting his arguments.' Then a moment came which put judges in deep conservation with each other, perhaps they were trying to understand the complicated money trails directly link to Gulf Steel Mill, Jeddah, Doha and then finally in London. A plethora of documents, already submitted by the respondents and the petitions before the court last year, helped PTI’s lead counsel to present well-articulated arguments before the five-member bench led by Justice Khosa.

But judges put a key question before PTI’s counsel to establish that the Sharifs owned properties in London prior to 2006. Sitting next to Imran Khan, Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Sheikh Rashid and Raza Khan, this correspondent could witness Shahid Hamid by taking notes. Mr Hamid is representing Maryam Nawaz and her spouse MNA Cap (R) Muhammad Safdar sitting next to Makhdoom Ali Khan.

Many were witnessed chewing bubble, Mr Tareen in particular who also offered it to Mr Khan but he did not buy this offer. Some were discussing weather, full of rain sounds, lightning and finally thunder. The decent looking state minister for Information Technology and Communication was also enjoying the weather before entering the premises. A large number of people witnessed the whole proceedings without having any chair. Before the final moment approached in the Courtroom, Imran Khan met a slip of tongue issue telling judges that “the opposition’s only job is to allege the government”.

Perhaps Imran Khan wanted to say ‘our job is to lodge the complaint against alleged corruption of rulers with the institutions, Supreme Court in particular.’ Earlier, Sheikh Rashid requested the apex court to let media cover its proceedings live as it, according to him, was a historic case. Then clock struck 1:00pm, the time to adjourn hearing till 9:30am today (Thursday). Mr Bokhari will start his submission with letter of former prime minister of Qatar Hamad bin Jassim bin Al Jaber Thani.