ATC seeks report on status of accused in Dharna violence cases

–Court orders govt to submit report on declaring Tahirul Qadri, Pervez Khattak and Jahangir Tareen as perpetual absconders

ISLAMABAD: An Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) resumed hearing of 2014 Dharna violence cases against Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) top leadership and chairman Imran Khan on Tuesday.

Four cases pertaining to violence were registered against leaders and workers of PTI and Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT), including an attack on the Parliament, the building of state television, and former SSP Operations Asadullah Junejo.

As the hearing resumed, the police presented interim-charge sheet against PTI leaders, naming Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Shafqat Mehmood, and Asad Umar as accused.

ATC judges, Shahrukh Arjumand and Muhammad Kausar Abbas, then summoned these leaders, who are out on bail, to appear before the court. Later, Asad Umar appeared before the court while Qureshi’s exemption appeal was accepted for Tuesday.

The court also ordered the government to submit a report on the status of the accused and on declaring PAT chief Tahirul Qadri, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Chief Minister Pervez Khattak and PTI leader Jahangir Tareen as perpetual absconders.

During the last hearing, PTI chairman was granted exemption from appearing in the next hearing. Furthermore, a notice of a permanent exemption from appearing was also issued to prosecution.

On September 1, 2014, violence broke out in Islamabad when PAT and PTI workers attempted to break a police cordon and storm the Prime Minister House, using cranes to remove the barricades.

The decision to storm PM House was taken after negotiations between PTI, PAT leadership and government failed to end the deadlock over the resignation of then-prime minister Nawaz Sharif.

The parties were protesting against alleged rigging in 2013 elections. The protests and clashes resulted in the deaths of three and injuries for over 550 people.