RAWALPINDI – Adiala Jail Superintendent Asad Warraich on Saturday blocked media persons’ entry into the jail premises as former prime minister Imran Khan’s trial in the cypher case began afresh.
On November 28, Judge Abul Hasnat Zulqernain had said in his verdict that jail authorities and security agencies had expressed security concerns therefore the next hearing would be held in the jail, but in open court. He had said the media and members of the public would be allowed to attend the hearing.
اڈیالہ جیل سپریڈنٹ اسد وڑائچ نے جج ابو الحسنات محمد ذوالقرنین کے آرڈرز کو کوڑے دان میں ڈال دیا
— Saqib Bashir (@saqibbashir156) December 2, 2023
According to Saqib Bashir, a TV reporter who has been covering courts and Imran Khan’s trials in different cases, took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to post an update on the cypher case hearing on Saturday morning. He said that Adiala Jail Superintendent Asad Warraich defied Judge Abul Hasnat Zulqernain’s orders right in his face. He said the judge should not have issued the orders if he could not have them implemented.
جج ابو الحسنات محمد ذوالقرنین صاحب کو ایسے آرڈرز نہیں کرنے چاہییں جن کی بے توقیری ان کے سامنے کھڑے ہو جیل سپریڈنٹ اسد وڑائچ کرے
— Saqib Bashir (@saqibbashir156) December 2, 2023
Quoting one of Imran Khan’s lawyers present in the court during the cypher case trial in Adiala Jail, Bashir said that jail authorities did not allow any member of the public to go inside the jail and witness the hearing. He cited the lawyer as saying that jail authorities however brought in 8-10 prisoners to witness the trial and portrayed them as members of the public.
جیل کے باہر تو کوئی پبلک اندر نہیں گئی لیکن آج کی جیل سماعت میں موجود پی ٹی آئی وکیل کا دعویٰ ہے کہ آٹھ دس لوگ سماعت کے دوران موجود تھے جو جیل کے قیدی تھے
— Saqib Bashir (@saqibbashir156) December 2, 2023
Expressing his frustration with the abuse of power by the jail superintendent, Asim Ali Rana, who introduces himself as senior correspondent for VOA Urdu, said that Judge Abul Hasnat Zulqernain should recuse himself from conducting Imran Khan’s trial in the cypher case in Adiala Jail after the jail superintendent trampled on his orders right in front of him.
جج ابوالحسنات زوالقرنین کو اس سماعت سے الگ ہوجانا چاہیے جہاں ان کے اپنے دیے گئے آرڈر کو ایک جیل سپرٹنڈنٹ پاؤں تک روند دے اور وہ سامنے بیٹھ کر دیکھتے رہیں۔ ہمارے سامنے انہوں نے دس بار میڈیا کے آنے کی یقین دہانی کروائی اور أخری وقت پر چپ رہے،، افسوس
— Asim Ali Rana (@AsimAliRana5) December 2, 2023
Commenting on the situation, Awais Yousaf Zai, a court reporter with Geo News and a member of the National Press Club, said it was beyond understanding why the authorities were so afraid of the media. Why was the media being stopped from covering the case proceedings? He said the prosecution would present the arguments and Imran Khan’s lawyers would defend him. He said that media’s job was just to relay the arguments of the both sides and judge’s remarks to the public.
سمجھ یہ نہیں آ رہی کہ میڈیا سے کیا ڈر ہے؟ میڈیا کو سماعت کی کوریج سے کیوں روکا جا رہا ہے؟ کیس پراسیکیوشن نے لڑنا ہے، عمران خان کے وکلا نے اپنا دفاع پیش کرنا ہے۔ میڈیا کا کام صرف دونوں کے دلائل اور عدالت کا فیصلہ عوام تک پہنچانا ہے https://t.co/lACV1mYTs5
— Awais Yousaf Zai (@awaisReporter) December 2, 2023
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