ATC rejects Imran, other PTI leaders’ acquittal pleas in GHQ attack case
RAWALPINDI – An anti-terrorism court (ATC) here on Friday dismissed the acquittal pleas of founder Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Imran Khan and other party leaders including former foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi in the GHQ attack case related to the May 9, 2023 violent protests.
While hearing the case in Adiala Jail, ATC-I Judge Amjad Ali Shah also rejected the acquittal pleas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur and other PTI leaders including Shibli Faraz, Shahryar Afridi, Kanwal Shauzab, Umar Tanvir Butt and former federal minister Fawad Chaudhry.
All the accused in the case had filed applications under section 265-D of Criminal Procedure Code of Pakistan (CrPC), challenging the charges levelled against them.
While turning down the pleas, the court noted that the acquittal petitions became infructuous after the indictment of the accused in the case. The court also observed that the prosecution had cited considerable witnesses and material in the case that could only be decided after the trial.
Special Public Prosecutor Zaheer Shah presented arguments against the acquittal petitions, while lawyers Faisal Chaudhry and Faisal Malik represented the PTI leaders along with a legal team.
Separately, the court also rejected the petitions of four other accused to go abroad due to incomplete documents. PTI leader Rai Hassan Nawaz, Muhammad Ahmed Chatta, Naveed Satti, and Muhammad Javed had sought court permission to travel abroad.
As many as 113 suspects have so far been indicted in the case while the court also summoned the other six accused named in the case today (Saturday).
Meanwhile, the court also heard an application filed by former federal minister Fawad Chaudhry challenging the territorial jurisdiction of the trial court.
Responding to the application, prosecutor Zaheer Shah maintained that the ATC was not the right legal forum to challenge the jurisdiction. The accused needs to approach the Lahore High Court.
The prosecutor further argued that the ATC had already decided the jurisdiction issue by framing the charges against the accused and indicting numerous persons in the case.
