Islamabad, Sep 23 (NationPress) An Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) in Rawalpindi has denied former Prime Minister of Pakistan, Imran Khan's plea that sought to suspend the ongoing court proceedings related to the May 9 incident associated with the assault on General Headquarters (GHQ), according to local media reports.

The hearing, presided over by ATC Judge Amjad Ali Shah, addressed two applications submitted by Imran Khan, which included a request for the CCTV recordings of the court session held on September 19 and a motion to pause the proceedings until the High Court issues a ruling on the transfer of the jail trial, as reported by the leading Pakistani daily, The News International. Khan attended the hearing virtually.

During this session, the attorney for the PTI founder, Faisal Malik, expressed their desire to refrain from participating in court proceedings without prior consultation with Imran Khan. In reply, the court remarked, "In the previous hearing, you conferred with the PTI founder who subsequently boycotted the proceedings."

When asking for additional time to contest the court's earlier ruling, the lawyer stated, "A WhatsApp call cannot be deemed as attendance via video link." The court responded, "You may challenge it; however, the court proceedings cannot be halted."

The prosecutor highlighted that the defense lawyers frequently skip court hearings and then seek more time, stressing that their actions demonstrate a lack of seriousness regarding the trial and waste the court's time.

In response to prosecutor Zaheer Shah's assertion that questioning the court's ruling constitutes contempt of court, Faisal Malik argued that they simply seek a fair trial. He further pointed out, "If the accused cannot hear his lawyer and vice versa, how can this be considered a fair trial?"

Concerning the defense's request for CCTV footage, prosecutor Zaheer stated that the footage and transcripts cannot be disclosed to anyone per the directives from the Lahore High Court. In reply, Khan's lawyer Salman Akram Raja contended that the court operates under the constitution, not government directives. After considering both sides' arguments, the court dismissed Imran Khan's requests and postponed the hearing until September 17.

Last December, Imran Khan and numerous PTI associates were charged in the GHQ attack case linked to the May 9 protests. Over 143 individuals, including Khan, have been named as defendants in this case, while 23, including Zulfi Bukhari, Shahbaz Gill, and Murad Saeed, are regarded as fugitives. Additionally, all accused have been barred from traveling abroad.

On May 9, 2023, protests erupted across Pakistan following Imran Khan's arrest in a £190 million settlement case. Numerous PTI leaders and supporters were detained for engaging in violence and targeting military facilities, including the Jinnah House and General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi.