Rawalpindi [Pakistan], January 28 : Pakistan's Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) rejected the acquittal plea Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan in the May 9 General Headquarters (GHQ) attack case, ARY News reported.
The ATC judge in Rawalpindi heard the acquittal plea of Imran Khan in the May 9 case on Monday. After the prosecution completed its arguments, the ATC court rejected Imran Khan's acquittal plea, as per ARY News.
The prosecutor told ARY News that the case trial has started, and the testimonies of 12 witnesses have been recorded. He further said that the hearing of the acquittal plea at this stage is inadmissible.
Earlier on January 25, the hearing of the May 9th GHQ attack case continued at Adiala Jail, with the founder of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Imran Khan, being presented in the courtroom, ARY News reported.
In another development, the defence lawyers requested that Imran Khan's family members be allowed to attend the trial, a request that was granted.
However, the prosecution raised an objection to allowing Bushra Bibi, Imran Khan's wife, to attend the GHQ trial. The prosecution argued that she had been convicted in a separate case and had already received a sentence. According to the prosecution, the law does not allow a convicted person to be present in another trial.
Furthermore, the defense lawyers filed a request to merge all 13 cases related to the May 9 incident.
Violent clashes erupted in Pakistan after Imran Khan was arrested on May 9, 2023. The protests were held in remote and major cities as PTI workers were angry over the arrest of the party founder, with Balochistan, Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Islamabad summoning the armed forces to ensure law and order.
Army installations, including the Corps Commander's house in Lahore, were attacked during the protests held by PTI workers. Notably, Imran Khan is named as the main accused in the May 9 riots case.