Live from Courtroom No1

PanamaLeaks case

ISLAMABAD: The day started with whispers ‘what would be the role of General (R) Raheel Sharif after holding command of military's alliance of Muslim countries to fight terrorism on certain terms and the Supreme Court staffers' futile attempt to fix picture of former chief justice Anwar Zaheer Jamali in the Courtroom No 1.’

Meanwhile, a golden clock struck 9:30am. Worthy judges took their seats. They looked fresh when Naeem Bokhari resumed his arguments on fourth consecutive day. He continued his arguments, while many Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders were whispering into one another’s ears either General Raheel would be accepting a lead role in a military alliance of 39 Muslim countries or not?

Then there came another moment when many pensive looking lawyers, journalists and even many legislators observed that PanamaLeaks case may witness a new turn today (Tuesday). Their pensiveness was based on possible reopening of investigation into a case of Sharif brothers who allegedly used the Hudaibya Paper Mills as cover for money laundering during the late 1990s.

Yes, confessional statement of Senator Ishaq came under question during the course of proceedings. It was a fresh query which came from the judges as well as the petitioners who raised 85 striking questions during 32 hours long arguments in past four hearings.

The PTI’s lead counsel Naeem Bokhari put 31 questions before the respondents and equally endorsed by the apex court. But interestingly he himself could not give satisfactory answers of 41 questions to five-member bench of the top court who posed these quarries during the course of proceedings.

This was a special moment when one could witness gloomy face of the PTI chairman Imran Khan who left the courtroom twice - perhaps he was unhappy with his lawyer's performance. Then Jahangir Tareen equally followed his leader and even his counsel who was assisting Naeem Bokhari was not standing next to him.

 Pensive looking Tareen was also not happy with Naeem Bokhari's performance when he was arguing on Monday. No one knew the reason, anyway in the courtroom. Some 18 questions came from Justice Azmat Saeed Sheikh, who perhaps read all the plethora of documents submitted by both parties before the court in this case. "Mr Bokhari, you did not answer my single question - it is a serious question - perhaps you are not well-prepared," Justice Azmat observed.

This correspondent witnessed many Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) legislators who were discussing many issues with Sharifs' legal team. PM’s Adviser on Law and Justice Zafarullah Khan and Makhdoom Ali Khan, counsel for the PM, were engaged in serious discussion when the court questioned issue of alleged money laundering cases about Sharifs brothers. 

During the tea break, Makhdoom Ali Khan also shared interesting story of his struggling career with this correspondent who witnessed Sardar Ishaq Khan Khakwani as taking notes of the proceedings. The decent looking Khakwani was sitting 10 feet away from Dr Shireen Mazari of the PTI who were always found whispering into ears of Jehangir Tareen and Imran Khan. Justice Asif Saeed Khosa, who was heading the five-member bench, asked 14 key questions. This correspondent also witnessed that the respondents’ counsels brought a dozen of smaller, medium and large size bags carrying books, judgments and documents in the court. They were super ready to start the arguments. 

Staffers of Pakistan Information Department kept holding chairs for their bosses namely State Minister for Information Marriyam Aurangzeb and MNAs Danial Aziz and Talal Chaudhry. State Minister for Information Technology Anusha Rehman was sitting all alone in second-last-row of chair, taking notes of proceedings.