The Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) issued an emotional appeal on Wednesday to the Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP), urging immediate attention to the alleged harassment faced by lawyers Khawaja Harris and Naeem Haider Panjutha, who are representing the PTI chief.
The appeal came in the wake of notices being issued to them by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) as part of an inquiry related to purported Facebook posts attributed to trial judge Humayun Dilawar, responsible for the conviction of Imran Khan in the Toshakhana reference case.
As of the end of office hours on Wednesday, Harris had not appeared before the FIA’s cybercrime cell to record his statement. However, Panjutha had already provided his information to the FIA on Tuesday.
In a strongly worded statement, SCBA President Barrister Abid Zuberi and Secretary Muqtedir Akhtar Shabbir unequivocally demanded the immediate withdrawal of these “unlawful” summons, which they deemed to be in direct contravention of the law and the Constitution. The statement characterized these notices as “blatant harassment,” strategically designed to hinder lawyers from discharging their professional duties independently and without intimidation.
