Are Previous Imams' Farmans to be Followed?

Mr Sachedina maintains that he does not follow Farmans of previous Imams.

[Note: Extracts of Federal Court Transcripts of Cross-Examinations held August 2010 for Summary Judgement Motions in the Aga Khan Copyright Lawsuit
Sections starting with N. Tajdin #... Means Nagib Tajdin is the one answering questions in the next section
Sections starting with Jiwa #... Means Alnaz Jiwa is the one answering questions in the next section
Sections starting with Sachedina #... Means Shafik Sachedina is the one answering questions in the next section
Sections starting with Bhaloo #... Means Aziz Bhaloo is the one answering questions in the next section
]

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Sachedina #885 - #889:
Cross-Examination by Mr Tajdin.
Q. Can I ask you to look at the second page of this. Have you heard of a farman that people refer to as the Usul-e-deen farman --
A. Yes.
Q. In the, not the last paragraph but just before that paragraph, I want to point to this: 'My Farmans themselves are the Ginans!' The Usul-e-deen farman is quite widely circulated in our jamat; do you agree with that?
A. This is -- again, I keep coming back, these are farmans from Sultan Muhammad Shah, and I always -- as I said to you, it is my position very clear, and it's my believe, that every time we look at, first of all, the farmans of the present Imam, they take precedence over any previous farman. And the Imam of the Time is the one -- the farmans that are, from our point of view, in our tariqa. We look at the present Imam's farmans.
Q. That's very good. Mr. Sachedina, would you agree that any farman which has not been superseded is still valid?
A. By the Imam -- living Imam.
Q. So let's say on July '57 the living Imam became Shah Karim, the present Imam. So the farman made two weeks ago by the previous Imam are no longer valid; is that what you are saying?
A. What I'm saying to you is our -- the farmans of -- Imam is Imam, is the present living Imam, and we, as the jamat Ismaili community, follow always the Imam of the Time. So those farmans are the ones that guide our life because he is the present Imam and he makes the farman. It is his farmans that we follow because we have given the bayat to the Imam of the Time.
Q. Thank you for this theological discourse. Now, let me tell you -- isn't it true that the Imam, when he became Imam, the present Imam said 'follow the farman of my grandfather' who was the previous Imam'; right? Isn't it true that he said that in his very first farmans?
A. Well, as I say, I cannot respond to that.

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Sachedina #892 - #893:
Cross-Examination by Mr Tajdin.
Q. Okay. But you agreed that the Usul-e-deen farman, which is very well known in the community, says that farmans and ginans are the same?
A. As I said to you, this was by the past Imam, the 48th Imam.
Q. Is it valid or not?
A. As I said to you, my interpretation, and it is my personal interpretation, that I follow the guidance given by the present Imam always.