ATC to hear case against PTI, PAT chiefs today

Police expected to file details of properties owned by Imran and Qadri

ISLAMABAD: An anti-terrorism court, which had directed Islamabad Police to furnish details of properties of two proclaimed offenders Imran Khan and Tahirul Qadri, so that the process for the attachment of their properties can be initiated, will take up the case on July 20 (today).

ATC Judge Shahrukh Arjumand had directed the Secretariat police station chief to submit details of properties of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan and Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) Chief Dr Tahirul Qadri so that proceedings under section 88 (attachment of property of person absconding) of the Criminal Procedure Code can be initiated against them.

The ATC had sought property details of the suspects in connection with their alleged involvement in an attack on the then Islamabad Police Senior Superintendent Police (SSP) Operations Asmatullah Junejo during the 2014 sit-ins in the capital.

On the last hearing of the case, the court had issued the summons for Junejo and three other witnesses to appear before the court and record their statements in the case on July 20. The court’s order noted that four witnesses have already recorded their statements in the case. Additionally, the order read, “two accused have been declared proclaimed offenders” through an order passed on February 3, 2017, the SHO is directed to produce details of properties for the initiation of proceeding under section 88 of CrPC.

Earlier, the court had directed the prosecution to produce witnesses against the PTI chairman and PAT chief among others for their alleged involvement in the attack on SSP Junejo.

Imran, Qadri and several others were booked over their alleged involvement in an attack on SSP Junejo, who was brutally beaten up at the hands of protesters on Constitution Avenue. The incident took place on September 1, 2014, less than 24 hours into his first day on the job as operations SSP.

The ATC has already declared Imran and Qadri as proclaimed offenders since they have been absconding.

Previously, the ATC had allowed an application from the capital police which wanted the court to start the process of declaring the two suspects as proclaimed offenders.

The Secretariat SHO had told the court that the suspects could not be located, hence warrants for their arrest could not be executed.

With the court’s permission, the police initiated proceedings under Section 87 of the Criminal Procedure Code (proclaiming the accused as absconders) against Imran and Qadri after they failed to appear before the court.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 20^th, 2017.