An anti-terrorism Court (ATC) in Rawalpindi formally pressed allegations against Aleema Khan and 10 others accused in a case relating to May 9 protests.
Aleema, imprisoned Pakistan Tehreek-E-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan’s sister, refused to sign the charge and insisted that the court awaiting a decision on her plea who challenged ATC’s jurisdiction to hear the case.
Aleema’s lawyer has challenged ATC’s jurisdiction in accordance with section 23 of the law of anti-terrorism 1997.
Section 23 of the ATA gives the ATC power to transfer cases to regular courts if it is of the opinion that the offense is not a planned offense.
The petition, which was filed earlier, claims that Aleema is not accused of direct protest, but of delivering a message from Imran Khan – an act protected by the constitutional right to freedom of expression. It claims that the dissemination of a message does not constitute a terrorist offense in accordance with section 7 of ATA.
ATC judge Amjad Ali Shah admitted Aleema’s petition about consultation and continued with the charge. The judge maintained that the court would hear arguments from both sides about Aleema’s petition.
The hearing was then postponed until October 17th.
Read: ATC issues non-accessible arrest warrant for Aleema Khan
Formerly opposite State Attorney Zahir Shah strongly against the petition and called it “illegal” and an attempt to “waste the court’s time.”
He argued that the trial could not be stopped by such a challenge and pointed out that nine others accused in the same case had already been convicted, making her petition declining.
This case is one of the eleven registered against Aleema Khan. Other cases on May 9 relate to the attack on General Headquarters (GHQ) Gate IV, The Armed Forces Museum and the combustion of a Metro Bus Station, among others.
Read more: Court’s question that is not available to Aleema
Previously, the Court had accepted a similar petition from Aleema Khan, who contested the charges and the court’s jurisdiction in a separate protest case from November 26. At that time, the court had canceled her non-accessible arrest warrants.
A heavy police presence was noticed at the courthouse on Wednesday.
“They must have come to arrest me. They have their orders.” She added, “If they have to arrest me, they should do it,” Aleema said, talking to the media outside the ATC.
ALSO READ: PTI workers not eggs cited to see Aleema Khan
“We have challenged the jurisdiction of the court as the court lacks jurisdiction to hear this case,” said PTI -Attorney Faisal Malik. He confirmed that a petition was presented with “strong arguments” and that their core posture was that “this case has no legal reason”.
The placement also states that if the delivery of Imran Khan’s message to media personnel is considered terrorism, then the media, who issued it to the nation, would be just as guilty. Therefore, the defense has sought the removal of the terror tax and the abolition of the entire case.
The court has summoned five prosecution quarters to register their statements during the next hearing on October 17, where the defense will also present its arguments to the jurisdictional challenge.
