News Desk |
An anti-terrorism court issued non-bailable arrest warrants for Provincial Information Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Shaukat Yousafzai, on Tuesday, 12th February, for being absent at court hearings in cases relating to the attacks on Pakistan Television and Parliament House in 2014.
The court ordered that Yousafzai be arrested and presented before it at the next hearing. Non-bailable arrest warrants for 26 Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) workers were also issued. It will hear arguments on President Dr. Arif Alvi and Prime Minister Imran Khan’s acquittal pleas in the cases at the next hearing on March 28.
The Anti-terrorism Court (ATC) in Islamabad on 18th October 2018 had directed four federal ministers to appear for the next hearing of the cases related to attacks on Pakistan Television (PTV) and Parliament House.
On Aug 31, 2014, anti-government protestors from PTI and PAT [Pakistan Awami Tehreek] clashed with police while marching towards the Parliament and Prime Minister House. The clash resulted in the deaths of three participants of the sit-ins. Hundreds, including demonstrators and police officials, were also wounded.
The transmission of PTV News and PTV World was cut off for almost half an hour before the Pakistan Army cleared the building. PTI had staged a sit-in against alleged rigging of 2013 general elections while PAT was protesting against model town massacre.
The Anti-terrorism Court (ATC) in Islamabad on 18th October 2018 had directed four federal ministers to appear for the next hearing of the cases related to attacks on Pakistan Television (PTV) and Parliament House. ATC Judge Syed Kausar Abbas Zaidi heard the cases pertaining to the attacks.
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Accepting the requests for exemptions from court hearings filed by Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Finance Minister Asad Umar, Defence Minister Pervaiz Khattak, Education Minister Shafqat Mehmood, and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Jehangir Tareen, the court had ordered them to appear for the next hearing.
In September 2018, the ATC had granted Prime Minister Imran Khan permanent exemption from appearing before it in the cases. The premier’s application was submitted by Counsel Babar Awan to Judge Kausar Abbas Zaid. Awan stated that he would represent the prime minister in future hearings, however, the premier will appear before the ATC when required.
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Awan also submitted an affidavit in court which nominated him as the prime minister’s counsel in the case.