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Defence counsel

boycott plane

case proceedings

RECORDER REPORT

KARACHI: The defence counsel in the October 12 plane conspiracy case against the former prime minister, Nawaz Sharif, and six others on Monday boycotted the proceedings allegedly for security reasons and as a protest against the murder of their fellow defence counsel, Iqbal Raad last Friday. The proceedings were adjourned till Tuesday.

Earlier, when the hearing began at about 9 a.m. at the Anti Terrorism Court headed by judge Rehmat Hussain Jafferi, the advocate general of Sindh, Raja Qureshi, requested for Fateha. All those present in the auditorium, including the accused, stood up to offer Fateha for the late Iqbal Raad, who once had been the advocate general of Sindh and at present one of the leading defence counsel in the case.

Raja Qureshi informed the court that he had spoken to Khawaja Sultan in Lahore on phone and had assured him and to his team of lawyers of full protection and security during their stay in Karachi.

He said the defence had declined to come to Karachi and asked for the change of the venue of the trial, but the venue could not be changed now.

When the court asked Nawaz Sharif about the absence of his lawyers, he said he had not talked to them. It was only through the newspapers that he had come to know about their not coming to Karachi, he added.

Nawaz Sharif said that he had not been provided any facility to talk to his lawyers on phone. He would talk to his lawyers and try to convince them, he added.

The judge asked the advocate general to make arrangement for a talk between Sharif and his lawyers. There after Sharif talked to Sultan from the court premises but the outcome of the conversation could not be known.