ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan on Tuesday that his lead counsel Hamid Khan had disassociated himself from the Panama Papers case in the Supreme Court due to the media pressure.
Imran Khan, while addressing media, announced that lawyer Naeem Bukhari will head a four member team including Babar Awam, Sikander Raming and Malaika Bukhari which will fight the Panama Papers case. The team will have the authority to add more lawyers in the team as well.
However, he said that Hamid Khan has been with PTI for twenty years and will continue to be and they appreciate everything he has done but there was too much pressure on him.
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He said that it was the responsibility of the opposition to highlight corruption and the misuse of public. “I am proud that our part fought the case valiantly till the end,” he said adding that it would be forgone if the PTI had not pursued it and it had reached the Supreme Court.
“This is not my personal case but Pakistan’s case and as an opposition we are raising our voice for it and facilitating the courts,” he added.
He also said that the opposition does not have access to state institutions unlike the government which uses the National Accountability Bureau and the Federal Investigation Agency.
“It is not the responsibility of the opposition to gather evidence. After the Panama Papers, it is the responsibility of the institutions to gather evidence,” he asserted.
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When asked about the weak performance of the legal team while pleading the case in the Supreme Khan, Imran Khan said that they have experience of defeating stronger teams as well.
He rebuffed reports that he had visited London to collect evidence for the Panama Papers saying that it was a personal trip and he went to meet his children. He also rebuffed marriage rumours saying that he was involved in more pressing issues now.
Imran Khan said that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had addressed the nation and parliament four times on the Panama Papers but never even mentioned the prince of Qatar, who had sent a letter that the money was provided by him.
He said that they had raised their voiced on every forum, and now their hopes laid with the Supreme Court. “Apart from that there is no solution except for a bloody revolution”
He expressed confidence and said that they have collected a lot of evidence and now it is up to their lawyers to present it at the next hearing in the Supreme Court on 29 November.
