Both plead not guilty as court orders prosecution witnesses to appear on February 23
PTI leader Raoof Hasan (L) and Ahmed Waqas Janjua (R). PHOTO: FILE
ISLAMABAD:
An anti-terrorism court in the federal capital has indicted Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf leaders Raoof Hasan and Ahmed Waqas Janjua in a case alleging links with terrorists.
Hasan attended the hearing along with lawyer Ayesha Khalid. Judge Tahir Abbas Sipra heard the case and formally charged the two men, and both defendants pleaded not guilty.
The court ordered the prosecution’s witnesses to appear at the next hearing and adjourned the matter to February 23.
Read: Prepared the judiciary for the occasion
Raoof Hasan is Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s Central Information Secretary/Spokesperson, while Ahmad Waqas Janjua is PTI’s International Media Coordinator.
In July 2024, Pakistan’s Interior Ministry said a joint investigation team would investigate “anti-state propaganda” in a case filed under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) linked to PTI’s digital media operations, following raids and arrests involving both Hasan and Janjua.
Subsequently, Hasan was arrested in a terror case following a statement attributed to Janjua, in which prosecutors alleged that Hassan had provided Rs 300,000 to “incite terror”. The court at that time gave the Counter Terrorism Department physical custody for investigation.
In January 2025, an indictment in a separate case involving Hasan linked to alleged propaganda against state institutions was not resubmitted, leading the court to adjourn the hearing.
