ISLAMABAD: An anti-terrorism court (ATC) of Islamabad on Friday dismissed the appeal of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan seeking exemption from appearance in PTV and parliament attack cases during the 2014 sit-in.
The initial hearing over Imran Khan’s plea was conducted by the ATC judge Shahrukh Arjumand.
The court while rejecting Imran Khan’s plea to issue notice before hearing, ordered him to appear before the court on February 26. The judge said that proceedings over the exemption plea will be held on the same day.
In 2014, Khan and PAT Chairman Tahirul Qadri staged a major rally in Islamabad against alleged rigging in the 2013 election and the Model Town tragedy, which had seen as many as 14 people killed and 100 others injured when police attacked Qadri’s residence during an ‘anti-encroachment’ operation.
Khan had threatened to shut down the entire country in what was perceived as a bid to topple the government. The protest had continued for a record 104 days.
On Sept 1, 2014, while the sit-in was still ongoing, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Asmatullah Junejo had been beaten up by protesters on Constitution Avenue as they stormed the Pakistan Television (PTV) headquarters and the precincts of the Parliament.
A case had been registered against Khan, Qadri and others for torturing SSP Junejo and five other police officers. Arrest warrants had also been issued against the two leaders.