RAWALPINDI – An Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) in Rawalpindi on Saturday recorded the testimony of three additional prosecution witnesses in the high-profile case against former prime minister Imran Khan, stemming from violent protests outside the army headquarters (GHQ) on May 9, 2023. The proceedings continued despite strong objections from Mr. Khan’s legal team, who insisted on his in-person appearance and a halt to the ongoing video link trial.
ATC Judge Amjad Ali Shah resumed the hearing as Mr. Khan’s lawyers formally submitted an application requesting his personal presence in court, arguing against his current appearance via video link from Adiala Jail, where he has been held since August 2023.
Raja Ikram Ameen Minhas, head of the prosecution, countered the defence’s plea, stating that a similar application had previously been dismissed and that the defence had not challenged that order in the Lahore High Court. He accused the defence of filing the already decided application as a tactic to disrupt the court proceedings.
The judge sided with the prosecution, observing that he could not halt the trial unless an appellate forum issued a restraining order. Following this decision, statements were recorded from prosecution witnesses Tehzeebul Hassan, Asmat Kamal, and Akbar. With these testimonies, 44 of the 50 prosecution witnesses have now been heard. The court has summoned three more witnesses for the next hearing on September 30.
The dispute over the trial’s format has been a recurring theme. On September 19, Judge Shah had ruled that while the trial would be held on court premises, Mr. Khan’s attendance would continue via video link, citing security concerns outlined in a Punjab government notification.
Mr. Khan, who faces multiple cases, was indicted in December last year in connection with the GHQ protest case and formally arrested by Rawalpindi police in January 2024. His initial arrest from the Islamabad High Court on May 9, 2023, sparked widespread violent protests across the country, during which state buildings and military installations were vandalized.
During Tuesday’s hearing, defence lawyers again sought a deferment to challenge the video link order. However, the prosecution argued that the defence had neither obtained a restraining order from the high court nor challenged the order before an appellate forum. The judge then proceeded with the testimony of the prosecution witnesses as the defence counsel reportedly left the courtroom, later telling reporters about alleged connectivity issues with the video link arrangement.
The prosecution anticipates concluding its evidence against Mr. Khan and other leaders of his Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) party next week, after which cross-examination of the witnesses is expected to commence.
