Comparing me with Nawaz is like drawing comparison between me and Sultana daku, says Imran

ATC rejects Imran's exemption requestion from personal appearance in PTV, parliamnet attack case

An anti-terrorism court in Islamabad (ATC) directed Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan to record his statement before police in all four cases against him in the PTV attack case.

He also claimed that comparing him to former premier Nawaz Sharif is an insult to him, “My comparison with him is like comparing me with Sultana Daku”.

At the hearing of the attack on Pakistan Television Corporation (PTV) and the parliament, chairman PTI also made an appearance. Imran’s counsel Babar Awan has filed an appeal for his client’s attendance at the court. Judge Shah Rukh Arjmand enquired if a plea for exemption can be filed by a suspect who has already secured a pre-arrest bail.



Imran’s counsel argued that his name was on the First Information Report (FIR) only for allegedly provoking the attack, and nothing else. However, lawyer Chuadhry Muhammad Shafqat rejected the plea and said after provision of pre-arrest bail, exemption from appearance cannot be granted in the case.

He also pointed out that Imran had earlier failed to appear before the court, to which Awan stated that Imran had already given his statement to the police. According to Shafqat, the recorded statement needed to be reiterated in court for a question and answer session as well.

The court adjourned the hearing of PTV and parliament attack case till December 7, and ordered Imran to record his statement on all four cases and to appear in all hearings.

“I am ready to be behind bars if required, but Nawaz Sharif is attacking the government, the military and other institutions, we need to strengthen those institutions first.”



“He says my dharna (sit-in) was political, and that the vote bank was being damaged. We ordered that sit-in solely because of the malpractices and rigging during elections. They’re trying to shut us down, but democracy will be hurt most from it,” he said while speaking to journalists after the hearing.