By Fazal Sher
Copyright brecorder
RAWALPINDI: The incarcerated Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founding chairman Imran Khan, on Friday, instructed his legal team to boycott proceedings in the General Headquarters (GHQ) attack case after learning that his counsel planned to challenge the government’s notification allowing his court appearance via video link.
Khan, currently imprisoned at Adiala Jail, appeared briefly before the Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) Judge Amjad Ali Shah through video link [WhatsApp call], following the Punjab government’s move to withdraw its notification allowing jail trials for Khan.
The PTI founding chairman has attended the proceedings for a few minutes via video link and asked his lawyers to boycott the proceedings. Following Khan’s instructions, the legal team led by Faisal Malik left the courtroom.
According to court officials, the PTI founding chairman was contacted twice before the hearing to appear via video link. On the third attempt, he finally joined the session at 11:25 am.
Once Khan appeared via video link, defence lawyer Muhammad Faisal Malik requested permission to speak privately with his client. The court granted the request, allowing the defence team to communicate directly with the PTI founding chairman.
However, instead of discussing legal matters or case-related points, the PTI founder began engaging in political discussion, prompting the court to advise him to stay focused on legal issues.
The defence counsel once again sought permission to consult their client. During this interaction, lawyer Faisal Malik informed the PTI founder that Salman Akram Raja is going to challenge the video link appearance in the high court. “What are your instructions regarding the notification?” Malik asked.
In response, Khan instructed his legal team to boycott the court proceedings. Following his directive, the defence lawyers exited the courtroom.
Despite the boycott, the court continued proceedings and began recording witness statements. Prosecution produced two witnesses, including Sub-Inspector (SI) Saleem Qureshi and SI Manzoor Shehzad, and the court recorded the statement of Manzoor Shehzad.
The court summoned 10 more prosecution witnesses to record their statements at the next hearing to be held on September 23.
At the start of the hearing, prosecutor Zaheer Shah argued before the court on the petition challenging the video link appearance of PTI’s founder and sought to produce him physically before the court.
During the proceedings, Shah argued that the Punjab government’s decision to conduct the jail trial and transfer the case to the ATC was made through an executive order.
He pointed out that under amendments made to the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) in 2016, the appearance of an accused via video link is legally permissible. Citing Sections 15 and 21 of the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA), he added that the court holds the jurisdiction to decide the mode and venue of trial.
“The government is not bound to provide reasons for transferring the trial from one location to another,” Shah stated. He further contended that the petition against the video link appearance is an attempt to obstruct the trial and waste the court’s time.
Special Public Prosecutor Ikram Amin Minhas added that the defence has every right to challenge the government’s notification in a higher court but the trial of the case should not be halted in the meantime.
On the other hand, the defence counsel, Muhammad Faisal Malik, representing Khan, demanded a fair trial, asserting that the physical presence of the accused in court is essential to ensure transparency and justice. He also informed the court that they received the government notification on Thursday last and would challenge it in the High Court.
The court then inquired whether the defence intended to present further arguments. The defence team requested a 30-minute break to consult with their legal team. The court granted the request and adjourned proceedings for half an hour.
The court, after hearing arguments, rejected Khan’s petition challenging the video link appearance and seeking to produce him physically before the court. The court ruled that, as per the Punjab government’s official notification, the PTI founder will continue to appear via video link only.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
