LAHORE: An anti-terrorism court (ATC) on Friday allowed the Gulberg police to interrogate PTI Chairman Imran Khan in the Attock jail in another case of May 9 violence.

The Gulberg police investigation officer filed an application before the court that Mr Khan had not joined the investigation of the case so far. He said the suspect was confined in the Attock jail following his conviction in the Toshakhana case.

He requested the court to allow the police to interrogate the suspect in the jail.

Judge Ejaz Ahmad Buttar permitted the police to interrogate the former prime minister.

Earlier, the judge allowed a joint investigation team (JIT) to interrogate and arrest Mr Khan in seven cases relating to the May 9 events, including the attack on the corps commander`s house in Lahore.

The judge also allowed the police to interrogate PTI leaders Dr Yasmin Rashid, Mian Mahmoodur Rasheed and Senator Ijaz Chaudhry in a case of May 9 riots.

The investigating officer told the court that the suspects were in jail on judicial remand and required to be interrogated in the case following addition of new offences in the FIR.

The judge also started the process to declare four other leaders of PTI proclaimed offenders in a May 9 case for their failure to join the investigation.

They include former federal minister Hammad Azhar, Ghulam Abbas, Ali Abbas and Sarmad Malik.

OBJECTION: Justice Sultan Tanvir Ahmad of the Lahore High Court on Friday upheld an office objection on a petition of a lawyer for Imran Khan for not allowing him to meet his client in Attock jail.

The registrar office raised an objection on the maintainability of the petitioner at the principal seat and asked the lawyer to file it before the Rawalpindi bench of the high court.

The judge sustained the office’s objection and dismissed the petition on the point of territorial jurisdiction.

Barrister Salman Safdar pleaded that he had sought permission from jail officials to visit Imran Khan, but they dismissed his request `unlawfully`.

Mr Safdar said he needed to seek instructions from his client regarding multiple cases pending before the courts. He asked the court to order the jail authorities to allow him to meet the PTI chief.

Published in Dawn, August 26th, 2023