Imran throws weight behind lawyers' movement, says 26th Amendment 'attack' on judiciary

• Imran Khan directs PTI leadership to support lawyers movement. 
• Instead of terrorists, action being taken against PTI, says lawyer. 
• Says PTI founder being tried in controlled atmosphere.

RAWALPINDI: Former premier and incarcerated PTI founder Imran Khan threw his weight behind the lawyers’ protest movement against the “unconstitutional” appointment of judges on Tuesday and termed the 26th Amendment an "attack" on the judicial system.

His remarks were conveyed to the media outside Rawalpindi's Adiala jail by his legal counsel Faisal Chaudhry. 

His remarks came a day after the Judicial Commission of Pakistan (JCP) approved the appointment of six new judges to the Supreme Court amid a boycott by PTI lawmakers and two senior SC judges. Earlier, three judges — from Sindh, Balochistan, and Lahore — were transferred to the IHC, drawing severe criticism from the legal fraternity.

The lawyer community would challenge the nominations of the six judges in the top court, PTI Senator Hamid Khan said on Monday, vowing to continue the "protest movement".

Furthermore, all three representative bar councils of the federal capital — Islamabad Bar Council (IBC), Islamabad High Court Bar Association (IHCBA), and Islamabad District Bar Association (IDBA) — announced launching a long march during the hearing of 26th amendment-related petitions.

Talking to journalists following his meeting with the jailed prime minister, his counsel Chaudhry said: “The PTI founder directs [his party leadership] to support the lawyers’ movement against the [unconstitutional] judges appointment.”

He urged the authorities concerned to focus on the open letters written by Imran to Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) General Asim Munir. There was no rule of law in the country, Faisal quoted Imran as saying. 

Taking a dig at the establishment, the lawyer said that instead of taking action against terrorism, they were chasing PTI supporters.

The PTI founder was being tried in a controlled environment, the lawyer said, adding that they pleaded for Khan’s trial in an open court. He further said that the PTI founder was not being given the right to a fair trial.

Currently, an IMF delegation is visiting Pakistan, he said, adding that Leader of the Opposition Omar Ayub would present a dossier to them.

The dossier contains all the details from the past two and half years, including political victimisation, torture and martyrdom of PTI workers at the hands of law enforcers, the lawyer added.