Rawalpindi (Pakistan): An anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Rawalpindi on Friday rejected a petition filed by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) challenging the decision to make party founder Imran Khan appear via video link in the General Headquarters (GHQ) attack case, Dawn reported.

Court upholds video link proceedings

Imran Khan, who has been lodged in Adiala Jail since August 2023, was expected to attend the proceedings through video link. His arrest on May 9, 2023, triggered violent protests across Pakistan, during which state buildings and military installations, including the GHQ in Rawalpindi, were attacked and vandalised.

At the hearing, Imran’s counsel, Faisal Malik, opposed the arrangement, arguing that a fair trial required the accused’s physical presence in court. Prosecutor Zaheer Shah, however, defended the government’s stance, noting that a Punjab government executive order had shifted trial proceedings to the ATC and emphasising that constitutional courts alone had the authority to review such decisions.

Shah further cited 2016 amendments to the Code of Criminal Procedure, which permitted appearances via video link, and invoked Sections 15 and 21 of the Anti-Terrorism Act, under which trial procedures can be decided by the court. He contended that opposing the video link amounted to “creating hurdles in the trial and wasting time.”

Prosecution evidence presented

During the resumed hearing, testimonies of two prosecution witnesses — Sub-Inspector Saleem Qureshi and Sub-Inspector Manzoor Shahzad — were recorded. They presented 13 USB drives containing video clips related to Imran Khan and other PTI leaders.

“Forty videos of the PTI founder related to May 9 were downloaded,” the witnesses testified. The drives also contained footage of Khadim Khokhar, Shehryar Afridi, Umar Tanveer, Sadaqat Abbasi and Sikandar Mirza, along with clippings from national newspapers.

Investigators said that the digital evidence was obtained from CCTV cameras installed at Benazir Bhutto Road, Mall Road, Liaquat Bagh and surrounding areas of Rawalpindi.

Next steps in the trial

The ATC also summoned 10 additional witnesses from institutions including the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA), the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), the Press Information Department (PID), the Internal Security Wing and the interior ministry to record statements in the next hearing.

Imran Khan was formally indicted in the GHQ attack case on December 5, 2024. Already facing multiple legal battles, he was additionally arrested by Rawalpindi police in January 2024 under charges related to the May 9 protests.

PTI’s legal course

Imran’s legal team informed the court that they had received the Punjab government’s transfer notification only a day before and intended to move the higher judiciary against it. While the ATC dismissed their plea, the defence has indicated that it will challenge the order in a constitutional court.

The case, closely watched across Pakistan, remains a litmus test for both the PTI’s political future and the judiciary’s handling of sensitive cases linked to the May 9 unrest.