ISLAMABAD – The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has agreed to schedule a hearing for a controversial petition that challenges the legality of the appointment of the very judge who convicted the PTI founder in the high-profile 190 million-pound NAB case.
On Friday, IHC Chief Justice Sarfraz Dogar presided over the hearing of a miscellaneous application filed by petitioner Usama Riaz. The application sought an early hearing for the main case due to its significance.
The court accepted the request and has now directed that the central petition, which challenges the appointment of Sessions Judge Nasir Javed Rana, be scheduled for the second week of November. It is pertinent to mention that Judge Rana was the judicial officer who delivered the verdict against the PTI founder in the 190 million-pound reference.
During the proceedings, the petitioner’s lawyer, Riaz Hanif Rahi, stated his readiness to present arguments on the main case immediately.
However, Chief Justice Sarfraz Dogar responded, “We will hear it in November. I am also not feeling well today.”
When the Chief Justice inquired about the basis of the petition, the lawyer explained that it rests on a prior Supreme Court order. “There is a Supreme Court order stating that Nasir Javed Rana is ‘unfit’ for judicial service,” the lawyer informed the court. “This was from the Wahab-ul-Khairi case. He (Khairi) is no longer in this world. Had he been alive, he would have guarded this issue, which is why I have filed this petition.”
Following the discussion, the court ordered the case to be fixed for hearing in the second week of November.
