Who is Geoffrey Robertson?

Islamabad: Blasphemy card is being played against Imran Khan by his political opponents after his party said it hired the internationally renowned barrister Geoffrey Ronald Robertson to represent the politician in international courts in cases related to “unlawful detention and human rights abuses.”

Even former prime minister Nawaz Sharif’s daughter Maryam Nawaz used her Twitter account to criticize Khan for hiring a lawyer who once represented controversial author Salman Rushdie.

In 1989, Ayatollah Khomeini issued a fatwa condemning Salman Rushdie to death for alleged blasphemy in his novel “The Satanic Verses.” Salman Rushdie’s “The Satanic Verses,” which was published in September 1988, was banned in several Muslim countries and eventually triggered violent protests.

Thousands of tweets were posted against Khan, forcing The Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) party of the former cricket hero to delete its tweet about recruitment of Geoffrey Ronald Robertson.

Imran Khan’s supporters defended the PTI’s decision by arguing that the same lawyer was recruited by former prime minister Nawaz Sharif’s close aides in the past.

Robertson also write for leading English newspapers on issues related to human rights violations.

A look at his article show he has writtem about the Iranian government, Brazilian leader Lula, Russian President Vladimir Putin and King Charles.

He has been representing some high profile international figures as a lawyer:

According to Doughty Street Chambers Geoffrey Ronald Robertson, “has had a distinguished career as a trial and appellate counsel, an international judge, and author of leading textbooks. He has argued many landmark cases in media, constitutional and criminal law, in the European Court of Justice; the European Court of Human Rights; the Supreme Court (House of Lords and Privy Council); the UN War Crimes courts; the World Bank’s International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) and in the highest courts of many commonwealth countries.

Geoffrey has, as a jury advocate, appeared in many criminal trials at the Old Bailey and libel trials in the High Court.  He has appeared in several hundred reported cases in the Court of Appeal (both civil and criminal divisions) and in judicial reviews in the High Court, and in subsequent appeals.  He has a large advisory practice, for clients including governments, media corporations, NGO’s and local councils.”