Islamabad: A special Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) in Rawalpindi on Monday rejected the acquittal plea of Aleema Khan in a case related to the protest held on November 26. The court announced its decision after hearing arguments from both sides, which had been reserved during the previous hearing.
During the proceedings, Aleema Khan’s lawyer, Faisal Malik, argued that her role was limited to conveying a message from her brother after meeting him in jail. He said the founder of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) had called for a peaceful protest, which is protected under the Constitution and democratic norms. The defence maintained that no journalist was named as a witness and no media outlet was made a party to the case, despite claims that the protest message was spread through the media. The lawyer also said there was no witness to the jail conversation and that provisions of the Anti-Terrorism Act did not apply, terming the case as political victimization.
On the other hand, Prosecutor Zaheer Shah told the court that the charges were framed on the basis of the investigation report. He argued that under the “theory of control,” organizers of a protest are responsible for its consequences. The prosecutor said the media had no role in mobilizing people and that business activities across the country were disrupted during the protest. He added that one police officer was killed and 170 others were injured.
The prosecution further claimed that armed groups were brought from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to Punjab and that statements of 18 witnesses had already been recorded. After hearing the arguments, the court dismissed Aleema Khan’s acquittal plea and ordered the trial to continue.
Source: BBC Urdu