ISLAMABAD - Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)
Chairman Imran Khan and PTI
lawyers Babar Awan and Faisal Fareed Monday filed their
replies in pursuant of the Supreme Court order.
In his reply, Imran Khan informed the court that ‘he was
not aware of any statement or
undertaking having been made
on his or PTI senior leadership’s
behalf on May 25’ regarding
holding of protest at D-Chowk,
Islamabad.
A five-member bench of the
apex court headed by Chief Justice of Justice Umar Ata Bandial
will take up the matter on 2nd
November. The bench on October 26 had sought replies from
Imran Khan, and the PTI lawyers Babar Awan and Faisal Fareed on the agencies’ reports
and the federal government’s
allegations that PTI breached
its undertaking given to Court
on May 25 not to hold a protest,
at D-Chowk, Islamabad.
Imran, who filed the statement through Advocate Salman
Akram Raja sought time until
November 3 to file reply in light of the factual detail contained in
the reports of the agencies, Islamabad police and the Attorney General for Pakistan.
He submitted that neither the
senior leadership of the PTI nor
he was aware of the apex court
25th May order not to hold protest at D Chowk. He stated that
he holds the august court in
the highest regard and “that no
question arises of his knowingly
violating an undertaking made
before the Court or not obeying
an order made by this Court.”
Babar Awan in his reply stated, “I was neither a party in constitutional petition nor criminal
original of the federal government. I was conveyed court’s
call through Faisal Fareed, while
I was doing a case before the Islamabad High Court.” “Thus as a
senior counsel of the court, I appeared to assist this apex court
on call,” he added.
He submitted that according
to the agencies and IGP Islamabad, attorney general for Pakistan’s reports neither any allegation is levelled against him
nor even his name is mentioned
in all the reports. Therefore, the
verbal blame raised by the law
officer, in any, have no credence
at all.
“The name of Imran Khan
was neither mentioned by both
the counsels appearing at the
court’s call, nor it is referred in
the order dated 25-05-2022. Instead the word use is top leadership,” he further wrote.
He added that the court directed Secretary Ministry of Interior, Inspector General of Police Islamabad and the Punjab
as well as Deputy Commissioner Attock to facilitate our meeting with Imran Khan as he was
stuck in Attock and his procession was under heavy shelling.
But this order was not complied
by the government’s side.
Awan maintained, “As a senior advocate, I showed reverence and respect to this court
by putting my personal security
at risk by 10 at night and went
to the premises for the meeting
of the Committee, which was
constituted and is referred in
paragraph No.7 and 8 of the order dated 25-05-2022. But none
turned up from the government’s side to honour the order
at the time fixed by this court.”
Faisal Fareed submitted with
utmost respect that he was
neither a party in Const. P.
No.19/2022 nor he has been arrayed as party in the Crl. Org. P.
No.148/2022. It is also important to set the record straight
that neither the PTI nor its leaders were either party nor represented by the undersigned. The
undersigned took up the labour
on court’s call.
The Islamabad High Court Bar
Association had filed the petition on May 25, 2022 and the
answering respondent along
with other bar members, were
also present in the court room
in solidarity, with his Bar President Shoaib Shaheen/the petitioner. During the proceedings,
he was called on the rostrum by
the bench and he was further
directed to seek instructions
from PTI leadership.
He added that in due reverence to this Court and pursuant to its instructions, answering respondent tried to
establish contact with leadership but he was unable to contact with any senior leader, including his brother, Fawad
Chaudhry. Meanwhile he came
to know that Babar Awan Senior Counsel was appearing
before the IHC and he immediately rushed to the High Court
and appraised Awan regarding
the situation.
Meanwhile Asad Umar the
General Secretary PTI was contacted and he was informed
about the hearing and court instructions. That following instructions from him, Dr. Babar
Awan, accordingly informed
the Court that the venue which
was provided for the rally of
JUI(F) sometimes ago, being the
ground/area between H-9 and
G-9 should be made available to
PTI, also to hold its rally.