GHQ attack case: Court rejects Imran Khan’s pleas, lawyers boycott proceedings

RAWALPINDI: An anti-terrorism court in Rawalpindi on Tuesday dismissed two pleas filed by Pakistan Thereek-e-Insaf founder and former prime minister Imran Khan in the May 9 GHQ attack case, while his lawyers once again boycotted the proceedings.

The court rejected Khan’s plea seeking a transcript of the September 19 WhatsApp video trial proceedings and another request to meet his lawyers prior to the proceedings.

The judge remarked that the lawyers’ pattern of meeting with the PTI founder was already set, adding that he could neither halt the video-link trial nor allow another meeting.

ATC Judge Amjad Ali Shah conducted the hearing. Khan’s counsel Faisal Malik and Salman Akram Raja appeared, while special prosecutors Zaheer Shah and Ikram Amin Minhas attended with their team.

The defence had requested a copy of the September 19 proceedings and CCTV footage, and sought suspension of the trial until the Islamabad High Court decided on shifting the case to jail trial. After hearing arguments, the court dismissed both applications.

Courtroom proceedings

During the hearing, lawyer Faisal Malik said the defence did not wish to take part in proceedings until they were allowed to meet Khan for consultation. The judge noted that Khan had already been connected in the last hearing and he boycotted the proceedings himself, suggesting the lawyers should challenge WhatsApp communication before the high court.

ATC rejects Imran’s acquittal plea in GHQ attack case

Malik argued that they had already challenged the WhatsApp communication before the IHC, insisting that a WhatsApp call could not be treated as a video link, and sought time to challenge the trial court’s earlier order. The court replied that proceedings could not be halted and they were free to challenge the order.

Prosecutor Ikram Amin Minhas contended that the defence had boycotted the last hearing, and the court was under no obligation to respond to their questions during today’s proceedings.

He said the defence was not serious about the trial and was only wasting the court’s time, stressing that no law allows suspension of trial.

Defence lawyer Faisal Malik argued that they were demanding a fair trial, saying if the accused could not hear his lawyer, or vice versa, it could not be deemed fair.

Prosecutor Zaheer Shah countered that boycotting proceedings and then filing fresh applications amounted to a U-turn, adding that under Lahore High Court orders, no transcript or footage could be provided. He accused the defence of playing to the media for sympathy.

Lawyer Salman Akram Raja argued that courts must follow the Constitution, not government directives, and it was unacceptable to present someone in solitary confinement through a WhatsApp call.

He stressed the need for consultation with Khan and said speedy trial should not come at the expense of due process.

The judge reminded him that in the previous hearing, when Khan was allowed to speak, he started delivering a speech. Raja responded that lawyers must act on their client’s instructions, and they were being denied that right. The judge maintained that the trial court could not disregard the high court’s directions.

Proceedings after recess

When the hearing resumed after a break, Khan was again connected via WhatsApp link. Defence lawyers sought permission to consult him, which the court allowed. However, due to poor audio and unclear video, the defence boycotted the proceedings again, and both Faisal Malik and Salman Akram Raja walked out.

With both Khan and his lawyers absent, the court decided to record the prosecution witnesses’ statements.

Case adjourned

The GHQ attack case hearing was adjourned until September 27 after the testimony of eight prosecution witnesses, including Nadir Khan (Additional Director PEMRA), FIA technical assistants Aneesur Rehman and Muhammad Imran, PID deputy directors Muhammad Tariq and Hasnain Wazir, former Islamabad AC Muhammad Abdullah, Irshad Bhatti, and Bilal Ahmed (Section Officer, Interior Ministry).

Prosecution witnesses submitted their reports in court. So far, statements of 41 witnesses have been recorded in the case, with Khan present via WhatsApp link during the process.

The court dropped SI Tasadduq, a key witness who has left the country, from the witness list. Ten government witnesses were present in the court, while more prosecution witnesses have been summoned for the next hearing.