Judge Amjad Ali Shah of the Special Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) will hear all 14 cases related to the May 9 riots, including the GHQ attack case, today.
However, no jail trial will take place today either. The hearings for all cases will be conducted at the District Courts, and no significant progress is expected in any of the cases.
The court has summoned around 700 accused individuals and two witnesses for today's proceedings. In light of the large number of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) activists among the accused, the police have implemented tight security arrangements around the court premises.
In the GHQ attack case, only 25 out of 119 witnesses have had their statements recorded so far, with no witness testimony recorded in the past two months. The Supreme Court (SC) has directed that trials of the May 9 cases be completed within four months, yet in 13 of the 14 cases, charges have not even been formally framed. These 13 cases involve over 1,000 witnesses and more than 700 accused individuals, represented by approximately 50 defense lawyers.
The additional 13 May 9-related cases include attack on GHQ Gate No. 4, arson at the Army Museum, burning of a sensitive agency's building in Saddar, arson at the Metro Bus Station
Prominent accused individuals scheduled to appear in court today include Leader of the Opposition Omar Ayub Khan, former Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed, Shibli Faraz, Shireen Mazari, Usman Dar Sadaqat Abbasi, Kanwal Shauzab, Zartaj Gul and Zain Qureshi. Ex-Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, who is currently held in Lahore Jail, will not be present in person. His attendance, along with that of PTI's founding chairman and former Prime Minister, will be marked through official prison correspondence (robkar).
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