An anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Rawalpindi on Wednesday rejected a plea by Aleema Khan, sister of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan, to summon two federal ministers and a Punjab minister as witnesses. ATC-I Special Judge Amjad Ali Shah dismissed the application seeking to call Federal Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, Federal Information Minister Ata Tarar, and Punjab Information Minister Azma Bokhari.
Court Ruling on Witness Summons
The court ruled that the same exercise cannot be repeated by summoning these witnesses. The judge announced the reserved verdict on the application of Aleema Khan, one of the prime accused in the case. The judge observed that during the trial, 19 prosecution witnesses were subjected to lengthy cross-examination.
The court noted in its written decision that the defense counsel had also conducted an extensive cross-examination regarding the content of videos and newspaper clippings; therefore, the same exercise cannot be repeated by summoning the requested witnesses.
Arguments Presented in Court
Special Public Prosecutor Zaheer Shah argued against the petition to summon court witnesses, while Aleema Khan’s lawyer, Faisal Malik, had presented arguments in favor of the petition last week. Advocate Malik argued in support of a request to summon 21 individuals as court witnesses.
The application was filed in connection with a case registered at Sadiqabad police station regarding the November 26, 2024 protest by PTI.
