The GHQ case has hit another road bump, this time over WhatsApp. Founder of Pakistan Tehreek-I-Insaaf Imran Khan was ordered to participate in the trial through video link in the last hearing that IMRAN hard opposed. IMRAN’s lawyers and IMRAN even announced their boycott of the case procedure and have treated Lahore High Court to allow Imran to physically be present during hearings.
Imran’s lawyers, Salman Akram Raja, on Tuesday challenged the home department of Lahore High Court (LHC). The petition argued that a fair lawsuit under Article 10A of the Constitution is mandatory.
The petition requested that the video link case be declared illegal and constitutional and that all procedures that were registered via WhatsApp -Link are invalid to be invalid.
According to the other, the accused, lawyers and family in a prison attempt present are present, allowing the correct consultation. However, Video Link and WhatsApp attempts violate fair experimental rules. The petition emphasized the urgent legal points and requested an accelerated consultation.
The requests that IMRAN must be produced from imprisonment for court for a righteous trial and that the remaining half of the trial, which has already been partially taken place via prison hearings, is conducted as an open prison attempt.
The first hearing of the petition is expected on Wednesday, September 25 before a division bench of justice Sadaqat Ali Khan and Justice Waheed Khan.
Read: When was the last time you saw Imran Khan?
Address to the media
After boycotting the lawsuit, PTI founder’s lawyer’s lawyer Salman Akram Raja Media told Imran that IMRAN was presented via video link in court in the last hearing on September 19, but both audio and video were bad. They requested to talk to the PTI founder, but because of the weak connection, communication was not possible.
He said it is not possible to discuss certain questions open in court as some points cannot be made public. The PTI founder is not aware of what is happening in the courtroom and they have filed a petition to the court in which they cannot participate in the trial under these conditions.
Salman Akram Raja said the trial, as it is currently standing, mocks the legal concept of a fair trial. He emphasized that the trial should be held in an open court, allowing the defendant to consult lawyers and observe the witnesses. The defendant has the right to confront witnesses directly and create accountability.
He said that the PTI founder has deliberately been isolated in a closed space so that he cannot see the procedure. “We went out and will not participate in this trial as long as it continues this way. We have also filed a petition in the Lahore High Court Rawalpindi bench and hope it will be heard soon,” he added.
He noted that in the Cypher case, Islamabad High Court (IHC) had declared a similar trial illegal. If lawyers are present, legal consultation is possible. “The trial has been going on for one and a half years and using a video link is an attempt to isolate the PTI founder,” he said.
Raja added that there is no reason why witnesses and lawyers are present in court while the PTI founder is on a video link. “During prison hearings at Adiala, everyone is present, and the PTI founder can communicate and consult with everyone there.”
GHQ attack
An anti-terrorism Court (ATC) in December 2024 accused former Prime Minister Imran Khan and other PTI leaders in connection with May 9, 2023, attacked the general headquarters (GHQ).
Earlier this year, Imran Khan was arrested in the GHQ attack case, and shortly afterwards his release order was issued in the Cypher case. Express News achieved a copy of the GHQ Attack Case report that outlines 27 serious charges against Imran Khan and other accused persons.
Read more: Imran Khan accused in May 9 -Refresh Case
The report claims that the defendant under the leadership of the former minister of provincial law Raja Basharat, the accused stormed the GHQ port, causing significant property damage despite being warned by military staff to stop.
It is also alleged that the defendants have broken into sensitive areas of GHQ, set fires, thrown gasoline bombs and created chaos in the premises.
According to the report, song like “No Pakistan without Khan” and “Behind this terrorism allegedly raised, targeted at military staff and attacks reputation for Pakistan’s armed forces.
The investigation report states that attacks were also made on sensitive ISI and GHQ offices that characterize the protest as a criminal conspiracy.
