Court orders arrest after rejection of immunity plea, freezes bank accounts and documents
Former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s sister Aleema Khanum. PHOTO: FILE
RAWALPINDI:
An anti-terrorism court in Rawalpindi on Monday issued non-bailable arrest warrants for Aleema Khan, sister of jailed former prime minister and PTI founder Imran Khan, after she failed to appear in a case related to the November 26 protest.
The court rejected Aleema Khan’s request for exemption from appearance, summoned her guarantors and issued notices to them. The case has been registered at Sadiqabad Police Station and relates to a protest held at D-Chowk in Islamabad on November 24, 2024.
The protest followed a “final call” by Imran Khan for nationwide demonstrations demanding the restoration of the PTI’s electoral mandate, the release of jailed party leaders and the overturning of the 26th constitutional amendment, which he said had empowered a “dictatorial regime”.
Supporters from across the country gathered at D-Chowk. The government ruled out negotiations and launched an operation against protesters, prompting PTI leaders to flee. The protest ended on November 26.
During Monday’s hearing, the defense lawyer sought a one-day exemption, saying that Aleema Khan’s bank account, CNIC and passport had been frozen, creating difficulties in travel and day-to-day affairs.
Judge Amjad Ali Shah ordered the restoration of her frozen personal bank account, froze national identity cards and passports and warned that contempt proceedings could be launched if the order was not carried out. The court noted that restoration orders had already been issued, but the defense said they had not been carried out. The judge warned that action would follow if compliance was not ensured.
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However, after hearing arguments, the court rejected the immunity plea, issued non-bailable warrants and ordered the Rawal police inspector to arrest Aleema Khan and produce her before the court by Tuesday. The judge ruled that her bank account and identity documents remain frozen until she appears in court.
On October 24, the ATC had ordered the NADRA chairman to block her CNIC, the director of passports to freeze her passport and the state bank director to freeze all her bank accounts after repeated non-appearances despite earlier orders. The court had also ordered the confiscation of her surety’s property in favor of the state.
Prosecutor Zaheer Ali Shah opposed the waiver request, saying Aleema Khan had already applied for waivers twice and was using delaying tactics. “The accused cannot dictate terms to the court,” he said, urging the judge to proceed with the trial.
The defense maintained that Aleema Khan would not appear until her accounts and documents were restored. The court rejected the argument.
Prosecution witnesses were present in court. Cross-examination of 10 witnesses has been completed, while three more were summoned for the next questioning. The case was adjourned until Tuesday.
Medical requests for Imran Khan, Bushra Bibi
The court also agreed to hear applications for medical examinations of Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi by their personal doctors, including ophthalmologists and dentists. Notices were issued to the Superintendent of Adiala Jail seeking comments by Tuesday, February 3.
Defense lawyer Faisal Mahmood Malik filed the applications, arguing that both had a constitutional and legal right to medical treatment by their own doctors under the supervision of Dr. Asim Yousaf. The court was told that medical reports on eye procedures performed at PIMS had to be produced.
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On 29 January, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar confirmed that Imran Khan had undergone a medical procedure for an eye condition at PIMS. It was the first time he had been taken out of Adiala prison since his arrest in August 2023 following convictions in several cases.
Defense said prison rules require families to be informed before medical procedures, but this was not done, raising concerns. It added that the family would not accept assessments from public doctors alone.
Amidst the controversy, PIMS confirmed the treatment and said: “Recently, Imran Ahmed Khan Niazi (age 74) reported decreased vision in his right eye.”
A senior PIMS ophthalmologist conducted a detailed examination at Adiala prison, including slit-lamp evaluation, fundoscopy, measurement of intraocular pressure, laboratory tests and optical coherence tomography (OCT) of the retina.
