ATC throws out PTI plea against Imran's appearance in GHQ attack case via video link

An anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Rawalpindi on Friday rejected an application filed by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) against party founder Imran Khan's appearance through a video link in the General Headquarters (GHQ) attack case.

Imran, who has been held at Adiala Jail since his arrest on May 9, 2023, was scheduled to appear before the ATC via video link for hearing of the case.

During Friday’s proceedings, Imran’s lawyer argued before Judge Amjad Ali Shah that the arrangement for his client’s virtual appearance was improper. Prosecutor Zaheer Shah opposed the plea, stating that the Punjab government had issued an executive order transferring trial proceedings from Adiala Jail to the ATC.

He maintained that only a constitutional court could review such an order. The prosecutor further pointed out that a 2016 amendment to the Code of Criminal Procedure permits accused persons to appear before courts via video link. He also referred to Sections 15 and 21 of the Anti-Terrorism Act, noting that these provisions empower courts to take decisions on trial matters. According to him, the government was not required to provide reasons for shifting the trial venue.

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Submitting an application against Imran’s video link appearance, Shah argued, amounted to “creating hurdles in the trial and wasting time.” He said the defence had the right to approach a superior court against the Punjab government’s notification but stressed that the proceedings themselves could not be halted.

Defence counsel Faisal Malik demanded a fair trial from the court, saying that such a trial required the accused to be physically present. Malik informed the judge that his team had only received a copy of the provincial government’s notification a day earlier and intended to challenge it in a higher court.

Testimony of  two prosecution witnesses — Sub-Inspector Saleem Qureshi and Sub-Inspector Manzoor Shahzad — was recorded. The witnesses presented 13 USB drives containing video footage related to the May 9 unrest.

They told the court that 40 video clips featuring the PTI founder were downloaded and submitted as evidence. The drives also contained footage of Khadim Khokhar, Shehryar Afridi, Umar Tanveer, Sadaqat Abbasi and Sikandar Mirza, in addition to clippings from several national newspapers.

According to their statements, the digital material had been obtained from CCTV cameras installed along Benazir Bhutto Road, Mall Road, Liaquat Bagh and surrounding areas.

The ATC judge dismissed PTI’s plea against Imran’s appearance via video link but clarified that, in line with the Punjab government’s notification, the former prime minister could attend the hearings.