PTV & parliament attack case adjourned till Jan 16 due to lawyers’ strike

ISLAMABAD (92 News) – Anti-Terrorism Court Judge Raja Jawad Abbas adjourned the PTV and parliament attack case till January 16. The court could not hear the arguments about the pleas for acquittal of Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) workers. On December 5, the anti-terrorism court had deferred the verdict on the plea for acquittal of Prime Minister Imran Khan in the PTV and parliament attack case. ATC Judge Raja Jawad Abbas, while deferring the verdict, remarked that why we should announce the verdict leaving out the acquittal of other accused. Earlier on February 12, the anti-terrorism court had reserved the verdict on the acquittal plea of Prime Minister Imran Khan in the case. During the hearing, the government prosecutor informed the court that the prosecution has no objection over acquittal of Imran Khan. Replying to the question of the judge whether the prosecution will oppose the application for acquittal, the prosecutor said it was a political case with no consequences. Prime Minister Khan’s counsel Babar Awan completed his arguments over the acquittal plea of the prime minister. Later, the court reserved its verdict to be announced on December 5. The ATC had issued non-bailable arrest warrants for Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf leader Aleem Khan in the PTV and Parliament attack case. The court had directed law enforcement to arrest and produce Aleem Khan in court by September 30, according to an order issued by the anti-terror judge overseeing the proceedings. Case History In 2014, Prime Minister Imran Khan and Pakistan Awami Tehreek chairman Tahirul Qadri staged a major rally in Islamabad against alleged rigging in the 2013 elections and the Model Town tragedy, which had seen as many as 14 people killed and 100 others injured when police attacked Qadri's residence during an 'anti-encroachment' operation. Imran Khan had threatened to shut down the entire country in what was perceived as a bid to topple the government. The protest had continued for a record 104 days. On Sept 1, 2014, while the sit-in was still ongoing, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Asmatullah Junejo had been beaten up by protesters on Constitution Avenue as they stormed the Pakistan Television (PTV) headquarters and the precincts of the Parliament. A case was registered against Imran Khan, Tahirul Qadri and others for torturing SSP Junejo and five other police officers. On December 7, the PTI chief requested that the cases regarding the storming of the PTV offices during the 2014 sit-in be transferred from an ATC to a civil court since it did not qualify as a terrorism case.