Fawad's inflammatory statements aimed at getting Imran indicted: PTI chairman's lawyer

• “Fawad and likes of him want to damage PTI," Hamid says.
• Lawyer says Fawad doing this to please his "masters".
• Fawad, other people had joined party with a "task", he claims.

LAHORE: PTI Chairman Imran Khan's lawyer Hamid Khan said Friday the purpose of inflammatory statements by party leader Fawad Chaudhry and others was to see the former prime minister indicted and sentenced.

Talking to Geo News, PTI senior leader and Imran’s counsel Hamid said Fawad attacked the Islamabad High Court (IHC) and its chief justice, Athar Minallah, with aggressive statements on the very day of hearing of the contempt of court case.

He said that when the Attorney General for Pakistan Ashtar Ausaf Ali showed the court a copy of The News carrying a statement of Fawad, he (Hamid) told the court that it had nothing to do with Imran.

The chairman was right in saying that some people in his party had links with the establishment, Hamid added.

“Fawad Chaudhry and likes of him want to damage the party, and they are doing all that to please their masters,” alleged Hamid, adding they had joined the party with a task and were unhappy that the longstanding members of the party were wisely advising Imran.

Hamid was referring to a case where Imran was facing contempt of court charges for his controversial remarks about Additional District and Sessions Judge Zeba Chaudhry during a rally in Islamabad on August 20.

Earlier this week, the court was set to frame charges against the former prime minister during the hearing. However, Imran offered an apology at the outset of the hearing.

Khan was issued a show-cause notice on August 23 and his response was sought twice. Both of the times, he dodged an apology. But this time, after nearly a month, he apologised to the court.

Further, Hamid recalled he had informed Imran that former party leaders Jahangir Tareen and Aleem Khan had joined the party to hijack it for their interest.

The two men stabbed Imran in the back, he said, and added he advised the PTI chief against filing a reference against Justice Qazi Faez Isa.

'Unnecessary interference'

During an interview on the eve of IHC's hearing in the contempt case, Fawad criticised Hamid, saying that Imran wasn't being allowed to speak and his lawyer or other people spoke on his behalf, creating "unnecessary interference".

"This is a matter between the court and the [petitioner]. But they are not listening to Imran Khan as [his] lawyers start speaking for him, what do they know," he said.

Trivialising Hamid's role as a lawyer, Imran said that he had time and again suggested that the PTI chairman's lawyer should not speak on his behalf and that the ex-prime minister should be talking to the court during hearings.

"I believe that when God has blessed someone with the respect that Imran Khan has, then it is everyone's duty to respect him. Imran Khan, right now, is the leader of millions of people. And the judges should accord him respect too."