ISLAMABAD:
The PML-N’s Punjab government has engaged a private special prosecutor to represent the prosecution in the Supreme Court in all cases related to May 9, 2023 incidents.
“Mr Zulfiqar Abbas Naqvi, Advocate Supreme Court, is hereby appointed as Special Public Prosecutor in terms of Section 18 of Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997 to represent the state in all cases related to the 09th May, 2023 incidents before the Supreme Court,” said a notification issued by the Punjab Public Prosecution Department on Saturday.
The notification stated that a professional fee of Rs200,000 per petition/case will be paid upon the logical conclusion of each petition/case in the Supreme Court of Pakistan.
Naqvi was also one of the prosecutors in the cypher case in which PTI founder Imran Khan and Vice Chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi got acquitted by the Islamabad High Court.
A three-member SC bench led by Chief Justice of Pakistan Yahya Afridi will take up the Punjab government’s petitions today (Monday) seeking cancellation of bail granted to the May 9 incidents accused. Other members of the bench are Justice Musarrat Hilali and Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb.
Earlier, Punjab additional prosecutor general was arguing these cases before the bench.
The prosecution side believes that the high court granted the bail to the accused persons without examining important material. There are very limited chances of cancelation of the bails. However, prosecution expects that cases may be remanded to the high court for reexamining all the material.
The PTI has already approached the apex court for the constitution of a judicial commission to probe May 9 incidents. Former PTI leader Fawad Chaudhry, who is himself a Supreme Court lawyer, said he was implicated in as many as 32 cases in the wake of the May 9 mayhem.
“Neither the charge-sheet nor the challan report provides any clear explanation of the specific charges against me. I was arrested in Islamabad and named in these cases five months later, after being granted bail in other frivolous cases,” he said.
According to Chaudhry, even the evidence against former prime minister Imran Khan is absurd.
“The police claim that three of their constables hid in the drawing room of Imran Khan’s Lahore residence and overheard a conspiracy to attack sensitive buildings [in the event of his arrest].
“However, they fail to explain why they neither informed their senior officers nor took any preventive measures if they were aware of this alleged conspiracy three days in advance. The entire narrative and evidence are blatant lies, with inconsistencies glaringly apparent on the face of the record,” he added.
Fawad Chaudhry also expressed wonder why the Supreme Court prioritized hearing bail cancellation petitions over more substantive matters, including his own petition, in which he had urged the court to enforce its earlier ruling that only one case can be filed per incident.
