Jinnah House attackers to be tried inside jail

The people who allegedly attacked state installations in Lahore in the wake of PTI Chairman Imran Khan’s arrest on May 9 will be tried inside jail, confirmed government officials on Monday.

Violent protests erupted across the country after Imran, who served as the country’s prime minister from August 2018 till April 2022, was taken into custody in Islamabad.

In Lahore, angry protesters, mostly PTI workers and supporters, targeted various government buildings and memorials including Lahore Corps Commander's residence—commonly known as the Jinnah House as well as Askari Tower and Shadman Police Station.

While some of the alleged rioters rounded up in a massive crackdown after the unprecedented attacks are now facing trial in military courts under the Pakistan Army Act, 1952, majority of the accused were booked under the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA), 1997 and are being tried in an anti-terrorism court (ATC).

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In three separate notifications issued by the Punjab Home Department, it was announced that the ATC will now conduct its proceedings within the premises of Lahore's Central Jail.

Interestingly, the notifications—unveiled on Monday, October 9—are dated June 21, 2023.

Talking to The Express Tribune, a government official explained that the government had actually decided on June 21 to hold a jailhouse trial of the accused but had not implemented the decision as the accused had not been charge-sheeted.

“As the charge-sheets have now been submitted to the ATC, the trials will now be held in jail,” he said, adding that “a trial technically starts after submission of the charge-sheet.”

Special Prosecutor Syed Farhad Ali Shah told The Express Tribune that the special court presided over by ATC Judge Arshad Javed will oversee the jailhouse trials of the accused.

He said the government made the decision as dozens of people are involved in the cases, making it logistically challenging to transport them to and from other court premises. The aim is to expedite the trials, as per the ATC rules, which mandate daily proceedings, he said.

Regarding the trial of Imran Khan, Shah said the PTI chief’s bail request in the Jinnah Hose case had been denied due to non-prosecution. “His trial may be conducted via video link from Adiala jail [where Imran is currently detained],” he added.

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Meanwhile, the ATC on Monday returned charge-sheets of 11 accused, declaring that they were incomplete and did not include statements of several witnesses and reports of photogrammetry tests.

The ATC judge also dismissed post-arrest bail requests of two accused Muhammad Mujahid and Faheem Noor, in the Jinnah House attack case. He also adjourned the proceedings on post-arrest bail applications of seven other accused persons till today, October 10.

The court also adjourned proceedings on the post-arrest bail applications of accused Sanam Javed, Robina Jameel, and others in a case registered against them for setting vehicles ablaze until October 11.