RAWALPINDI; The Punjab government has withdrawn its earlier notification regarding the jail trial of the General Headquarters (GHQ) attack case, with fresh directives stating that the proceedings will now be held in the Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) Rawalpindi instead of Adiala Jail. According to media reports, the same applies to cases linked with the May 9 riots.
Under the new arrangement, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan will be produced before the court via video link whenever required, while other accused persons in the GHQ attack and May 9-related cases will appear physically before the ATC.
Reacting strongly, Aleema Khan, sister of the PTI founder, rejected the proposed video link trial, calling it an attempt to isolate her brother. Speaking to reporters in Rawalpindi on Wednesday, she said that Imran Khan was never given such a facility when his life was genuinely under threat, yet now it was being misused to keep him away from the public and legal fraternity.
She alleged that the cases against her brother were fabricated and politically motivated, recalling how he continued to attend courts in Rawalpindi and Islamabad despite severe security threats.
Aleema further claimed that the government’s agenda under the 26th Constitutional Amendment was solely aimed at targeting the PTI founder and sidelining the party’s leadership. She urged the legal fraternity to resist the move, insisting: “We will never accept a video link trial.”
Meanwhile, Faisal Malik, counsel for the PTI founder, told reporters outside Adiala Jail that hearings in 11 cases linked to May 9 had been scheduled for September 17 but have now been adjourned until October 1.
He confirmed that the court had informed them of the Punjab government’s new notification shifting the GHQ attack case to ATC Rawalpindi. Malik said that while the authorities intend to present Imran Khan through video link, the defence team is filing an application demanding his physical appearance in court. “We reject this notification of the Punjab government,” he asserted.
