RAWALPINDI: The prosecution is Ready to conclude its evidence against former prime minister Imran Ahmed Khan Niazi and other PTI leaders next week in the case pertaining to a violent protest outside the army’s General Headquarters (GHQ) on May 9, 2023, following the arrest of Mr X PM in a corruption case.
During the hearing, X-PM Imran Khan Niyazi also marked his attendance from the Adiala jail via video link, but connectivity issues marred the PTI leader’s appearance before the court.
On Tuesday,(ATC) an anti-terrorism court in Rawalpindi recorded the statements of eight prosecution witnesses, after the defence sought deferment of the proceedings to challenge the order requiring Mr X PM appearance through video link. The order was passed in pursuance of a Punjab government notification directing trial proceedings be held via video link, citing security concerns.
ATC Judge Amjad Ali Shah on 19 Sep ruled that the trial would be conducted on the court premises instead of in Adiala jail, with Mr X PM attendance to be marked through video link. When the hearing resumed on Tuesday, the defence counsel requested an adjournment, informing the judge that the legal team intended to file an appeal against the 19 Sep order.
The prosecution, however, argued that the defence neither obtained any restraining order from the high court nor challenged the order before an appellate forum. The judge then proceeded with the testimony of prosecution witnesses as the defence counsel left the courtroom and later told reporters about connectivity issues in the video link arrangement.
The court recorded statements of eight prosecution witnesses, including three officers of the Federal Investigation Agency’s Cyber Crimes Wing, who testified regarding tweets and other social media posts of the PTI leaders ahead of and during the May 9 protests.
Two Islamabad magistrates, Awais Bhatti and Abdullah Khan, also testified that they had recorded statements of PTI local leaders Sadaqat Ali Abbasi, Wasiq Qayyum and Omar Tanveer Butt, who affirmed the allegations against Mr Khan and the party leadership.
According to Raja Ikram Ameen Minhas, the head of the prosecution in the GHQ case, the testimony of 41 prosecution witnesses has been completed so far, while the remaining nine witnesses will be produced at the next hearing.
He said that the cross-examination of the prosecution witnesses would start afterwards.
The court adjourned the case till 27 Sep.
Mr x PM, who has been incarcerated in Adiala jail since 2023, faces multiple cases, including GHQ protest case. He was indicted in December last year and was arrested in this case by the Rawalpindi police in January 2024.
Conjugal rights
Separately, the Islamabad High Court issued notices to the authorities concerned on a petition seeking permission for X PM and his wife, Bushra Bibi, to exercise their conjugal rights while incarcerated in prison.
Justice Arbab Tahir took up the petition filed under Article 199 by Shahid Yaqoob, a resident of Islamabad and Khan’s supporter.
The court issued a one-page written order, directing the Islamabad chief commissioner, the Punjab government, Punjab’s inspector general of prisons, and the jail superintendent, among others, to submit their replies before the next hearing.
During proceedings, the petitioner’s lawyer argued that Section 545A of the Criminal Procedure Code supported the protection of family life and provision of facilities for marital relations to prisoners as a basic need.
He argued that denial of conjugal rights violates constitutional protections, international conventions, and previous judicial rulings. It also cites a 2010 notification issued by the Sindh Home Department in compliance with Supreme Court directions, allowing convicted inmates conjugal visits every three months. Additionally, the petition relies on a landmark Sharita Court judgement that recognized conjugal rights for prisoners as a fundamental entitlement.
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