ISLAMABAD: While refusing to enjoy immunity under the constitution, President Arif Alvi on Friday appeared before an anti-terrorism court in Islamabad with regard to the 2014 Parliament House attack case.
The president who has been nominated in the case arrived at Judicial Complex to appear before the ATC along with his counsel Babar Awan. Judge Muhammad Ali Warraich led the proceedings of the case. President Arif Alvi later filed a plea before the ATC through his lawyer to set aside his immunity.
President Arif Alvi during his appearance said that the Constitution of Pakistan gives him immunity, however, he wanted to waive it to bring all of them equal before the law. He said that he appeared before the court so that no one could say that the president skipped the proceedings using his exemption. “A case was filed against me during the presidency in Sialkot. I did not seek exemption and later won that case,” he added.
The president said that he knew that the courts are overburdened but it is their responsibility to expedite the judicial process as delays had led to generations fighting for their cases.
On Feb 18, an Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) reserved its verdict on petitions of federal ministers, Asad Umar, Pervaiz Khattak, Shafqat Mehmood, and Shah Mehmood Qureshi, and Jahangir Khan Tareen, seeking acquittal in the 2014 parliament house and PTV attack case. The ATC judge hearing the arguments over the acquittal applications under of 256-k CrPC reserved its judgement which will be announced on March 9.
It is noteworthy that Prime Minister Imran Khan, who was also named in the case, was acquitted by the anti-terrorism court in October 2020. On Sept 1, 2014, hundreds of protesters belonging to the PTI and PAT stormed the Parliament House and PTV headquarters and forced its staff to take two of the state broadcaster’s flagship channels. The protesters were also charged with attacking government properties including the Parliament House building.
