- The founder of PTI also seeks the provision of CCTV images of the case audience.
- I don’t want to be part of the audition without consultation with Khan: lawyer.
- The defense wants to waste time, not seriously about the trial: fiscal.
Rawalpindi: An anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Rawalpindi rejected on Tuesday the plea of the founder of Pakistan Tehreeke-E-Insaf (PTI) Imran Khan that sought the stop of judicial procedures in the case of May 9 that involves attack on the general headquarters (GHQ).
The ATC judge, Amjad Ali Shah, made the hearing today on two requests presented by Khan, urging the court to provide CCTV images of judicial procedures on September 19 and stop the procedures until the order of the Superior Court on the transfer of the trial in jail.
During the hearing, where Khan appeared virtually before the court through WhatsApp Link, the lawyer of the founder of PTI, Faisal Malik, said they did not want to be part of the procedure of the case without consultation with the former prime minister.
To this, the court said: “During the last hearing, he consulted with the founder of PTI that [then] He boycotted the procedures. “
When the court advises him to challenge WhatsApp communication in the Superior Court, lawyer Malik said they had already done so.
“[A] WhatsApp call cannot be considered as [attendance] Through a video link, “said the lawyer while asking the court for more time to challenge the previous court order.
“You can challenge it [however] Judicial procedures cannot be detained, “the court replied.
Highlighting that defense lawyers boycotted the previous hearing, prosecutor Ikram Amin said the Prosecutor’s Office was not obliged to answer any of his consultations.
“Defensor lawyers boycott the hearing in court and then ask for more time the next day. Their conduct shows that the trial is not taken seriously,” said the prosecutor, added that the defense team was wasting the court’s time.
In response to the argument of prosecutor Zaheer Shah that questioning the order of the Court amounted to contempt of the court, the lawyer Malik said they were simply looking for a fair trial.
“If the suspect cannot listen to his lawyer and vice versa, how is this a fair trial,” said the defense lawyer?
According to the application of the Defense team for CCTV images, prosecutor Zaheer said that, according to the directives of the Superior Court of Lahore (LHC), a footage or a transcription can not be provided to anyone.
Given this, Khan’s lawyer, Salman Akram Raja, said the court does not operate with government instructions, but works according to the Constitution.
“It is not possible to present a person locked in a cell in WhatsApp,” said Raja, to which the court said he has the right to challenge the court order.
After listening to the arguments of both sides, the court rejected the requests presented by the former prime minister.
With a total of 41 witnesses registering their statements in the case, the court also postponed the hearing until September 27.
The development follows the decision of ATC the last week of rejecting Khan’s plea for the appearance in person in that case after the Punjab government canceled the prison trial of all cases of May 9, including the case of attack of GHQ.
GHQ attack case
The founder of PTI, Khan, together with dozens of other PTI workers accused in the case of GHQ attack related to the violent protests of May 9 in December 2024.
More than 143 individuals, including Khan, were appointed as accused in the case, while 23, including Zulfi Bukhari, Shahbaz Gill and Murad Saeed, were listed as fugitives. In addition, all the defendants have prohibited traveling abroad.
At least 70 PTI leaders were accused of planning the events of May 9 and inciting workers and supporters to attack the military and government facilities after the arrest of the prime minister expelled by the National Office of Responsibility (NAB).
May 9 disturbances were activated throughout the country after the arrest of the deposed Prime Minister Khan in the case of liquidation of £ 190 million. Hundreds of PTI workers and upper leaders were placed after bars for their participation in violence and attacks in military facilities in 2023.
During the protests, criminals attacked civil and military facilities, including the Jinnah house and the general headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi.
