GHQ attack case: Indictment of Imran Khan, 124 others postponed for third time

The indictment of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founding chairman Imran Khan and 124 other accused individuals in the GHQ attack case has been postponed for the third time.

The hearing, related to the May 9 violence, took place in an Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) in Rawalpindi.

Lawyers for Sheikh Rashid Ahmed, Amjad Khan Niazi, Omar Tanveer Butt, Waqas Qayyum, Major Tahir Sadiq, Omar Ayub, and others completed their arguments before Judge Amjad Ali Shah.

During the proceedings, the prosecution raised an objection regarding lawyers presenting arguments without having any official power of attorney.

Public Prosecutor Zahid Shah argued that 102 lawyers for the accused had not yet filed their power of attorney documents.

He requested that the court appoint a state counsel to represent the case of the accused.

Additionally, lawyers representing Shireen Mazari and Shakeel Niazi completed their arguments, after which the prosecution presented their case.

The court directed government lawyers to present arguments regarding the acquittal petitions of Sheikh Rashid, Shireen Mazari, Amjad Niazi, and others today. Later, the accused present in court were allowed to leave after marking their attendance.

The court also directed that additional copies of the charge sheet be distributed to the absconding accused and adjourned the next hearing until November 25.

The government lawyers are expected to respond to the acquittal requests during the next hearing.

Before the hearing, the court had summoned Shah Mehmood Qureshi from Lahore, while also issuing a notice to the Chief Minister of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Ali Amin Gandapur, for indictment.

The indictment of all 125 accused in the GHQ attack case, including PTI’s founder, Imran Khan, was exptected to take place during today's hearing.

However, the proceedings were adjourned once again due to various objections and arguments presented by the defence counsel.

PTI chairman Omar Ayub spoke to the media during his court appearance, stating that he had come for the indictment proceedings and had attended previous hearings as well.

He mentioned preparations were ongoing for the November 24 protest.

PTI’s lawyer, Muhammad Faisal Malik, also spoke to the media, stating that some new copies of documents were presented today, which had not been part of the original charge sheet.

He called the introduction of these documents into the proceedings a case of forgery.

Faisal Malik emphasised that every accused has the right to a fair trial, and that 'documents that were not part of the charge sheet held no legal standing.'

He also pointed out that no CCTV footage had been provided to the defence team, and noted that Ali Amin Gandapur had requested an exemption from attendance 'due to his government duties.'

Malik further requested that the court allow the defense team to meet with Imran Khan, as they had not been granted permission to do so previously.

He also mentioned concerns regarding a 'fabricated narrative about a conspiracy,' and highlighted that the evidence being presented had already been rejected by the Sargodha ATC.

Previously, in the Toshakhana case, Pakistan’s National Accountability Bureau (NAB) requested the Islamabad High Court to nullify sentences handed down to former prime minister Imran Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi, and to remand the case for further proceedings.

NAB prosecutor, Amjad Pervez stated that he disagreed with the manner in which the trial and sentencing were conducted, admitting that he had already called for suspending the sentences.

Furthermore, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F) leader Maulana Fazlur Rehman has clarified that he has no role in the efforts to secure the release of former Prime Minister Imran Khan.

The police revealed that there are 62 registered cases against Imran Khan in the capital, with additional inquiries taking place at the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), Express News reported.