PTV attack case: Accused request Ramazan adjournment

Say weather would make it difficult to appear; judge conditionally denies motion

ISLAMABAD: Despite vowing to overthrow the government, come what may, a group of men on trial over their alleged role in the siege of the Pakistan Television (PTV) building and Parliament House in August 2014 seems unable to deal with hunger pangs or hot weather.

On Tuesday, the accused made an unusual request before an anti-terrorism court (ATC), requesting a “long adjournment” on the grounds that Ramazan starts next month and that the hot weather would make it ‘difficult’ for them to appear in court.

Faisal Chaudhry, the counsel for several suspects, requested the court to adjourn the cases for two-and-a-half months as his clients would face difficulties in appearing before the court. He said that the suspects were poor political workers hailing from remote areas.

ATC Judge Syed Kausar Abbas Zaidi, however, remarked that he cannot give such a long adjournment but will accept exemption applications if filed in a timely manner. The court also warned that arrest warrants will be issued against anyone failing to appear before the court without having filed an exemption application.

Meanwhile, the court accepted the prosecutor’s request to grant time to argue over the applications seeking acquittal. The case was then adjourned till May 30.

While talking to the media, Chaudhry said poor people have been suffering for almost two years because the prosecution is not taking interest in the cases.

Over a hundred workers and supporters of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) and Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) were booked and later released on bail in the cases. All of them were arrested during the 2014 PTI and PAT sit-ins.

On August 31, 2014, in an attempt to topple the PML-N government, PTI and PAT workers had marched on parliament and the Prime Minister House while clashing with policemen along the way. At least three protesters died and hundreds of protesters and policemen were injured.

On September 1, 2014, hundreds of men, allegedly protesters from the PTI and PAT camps, ransacked the PTV office.

PTV transmissions were also cut off for around half-an hour. Later, Pakistan Army cleared the building.

An FIR was registered on the complaint of Secretariat SHO Inspector Mehboob Ahmed. In his application, the complainant said that the protesters attacked the building after snatching weapons from policemen.

The same court had earlier issued non-bailable arrest warrants for PTI Chairman Imran Khan, Vice-Chairman Shah Mehmood Qureshi, PAT chief Dr Tahirul Qadri and others for attacking the state buildings.

The warrants were issued in response to two separate First Information Reports (FIRs) registered by the Secretariat police against Qadri, PTI leaders Khan, Qureshi, Saifullah Niazi, Dr Raheeq Abbasi, Asad Umar, Awami Muslim League leader Sheikh Rashid Ahmad and others.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 11^th, 2016.