ISLAMABAD – An anti-terrorism court (ATC) granted an exemption to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan from appearing in the next hearing of the cases related to the attack on parliament house, during the 2014 sit-in.
Imran, whose exemption plea had been earlier rejected by the court on February 23, was absent as the hearing commenced early morning, however, he reached the court premises after a one-hour recess ordered by Judge Arjumand, ended.
Judges, Kausar Abbas and Shahrukh Arjumand are hearing four cases – attack on the state television building, Parliament and SSP Asmat Junejo – against PTI and Pakistan Awami Tehreek leaders and the hearing has been adjourned till March 13th.
Talking to newsmen outside the court premises, Imran took aim at former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and his brother, Chief Minister Punjab Shehbaz Sharif.
“Nawaz was caught in Panama and the ‘chota don Shehbaz Sharif’ has been caught by China’s regulatory authorities,” Khan alleged.
The PTI chairman continued that Faisal Subhan, the CEO of Capital Engineering which developed Multan Metro bus project also confessed to the Chinese regulatory authority investigating corruption charges in the project.
“Shehbaz Sharif has spent nine trillion rupees through his chosen bureaucrats like Ahad Cheema,” the lawmaker alleged.
The PTI chief was issued summons on January 31 and Imran had termed the cases ‘undemocratic,’ adding that holding a public gathering was not terrorism. The ATC judge had remarked that the cases will be handled according to law.
2014 sit-in violence
In August 2014, Imran Khan and Pakistan Awami Tehreek Chairman Tahirul Qadri staged a protest in Islamabad against alleged rigging in 2013 general elections and Model Town incident.
The protest had continued for 126 days and during the course of protests, the demonstrators beat up SSP Asmatullah Junejo on Constitution Avenue when they tried to storm the Pakistan Television (PTV) headquarters and parts of the Parliament.
A case had been filed against Khan, Qadri and others for torturing SSP Junejo and five other police officers.
The PTI chief had pleaded the court to transfer the cases to civil court however the request was rejected in December, last year.
