ISLAMABAD: The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has arrested Naeem Haider Panjotha, the former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s lawyer, who had visited the investigative body in connection with a case related to the Judge’s Facebook posts probe.
According to reports in Pakistani media, Panjotha was summoned by the FIA for an investigation into the social media posts of Additional District and Sessions Judge Humayun Dilawar, who sentenced Chairman of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Imran Khan to three years in prison in the Toshakhana case on August 5.
Upon receiving notice from the FIA to appear before the investigation team, Panjotha, who represents PTI Chairman Imran Khan, visited the FIA headquarters and was subsequently taken into custody.
PTI lawyer Sher Afzal Khan Marwat confirmed Panjotha’s arrest on Twitter, though the exact nature of the arrest remains unclear. He said the first information report cannot be registered directly without the permission of the Islamabad High Court.
Reacting to Panjotha’s arrest, Sher Afzal Khan Marwat said that this arrest “would unite the legal community” and would not deter Imran Khan’s legal team from fulfilling their “professional duties”.
Inquiry Against Imran Khan’s Lawyer
On the directive of the Islamabad High Court, the FIA’s Cybercrime Circle had initiated an inquiry against Panjotha and asked him to present himself before the inquiry team at the Cybercrime Reporting Centre in Islamabad.
The inquiry officer’s summons had urged the lawyer to provide clarity on his position in the interest of justice to ensure a fair trial.
Last week, the IHC referred Judge Dilawar’s “controversial” Facebook posts to the FIA.
Judge Dilawar, an Additional District and Sessions Judge, had on August 5 sentenced former Prime Minister Khan to three years in prison and disqualified him for five years in the Toshakhana case. Following the sentencing, Khan was arrested from his Zaman Park residence and transferred to Attock Jail.
Imran Khan sought the transfer of his case from Judge Dilawar’s court, alleging bias, and claiming that the judge had shown certain posts from his Facebook account to the IHC. The judge, however, denied that the posts belonged to him despite the account being in his name.
