ISLAMABAD: An Anti-Terrorism Court in the federal capital sought a detailed report from the Adiala jail superintendent on the security provided to the PTI chairman currently imprisoned in the prison.
The orders were passed by the ATC judge Abul Hasnat Zulqarnain as he conducted hearing of cases concerning the judicial complex attack and the protest outside the ECP office on Thursday. Both the PTI chairman and party leader Asad Umar are nominated in these cases.
Jan Muhammad, the defence counsel, submitted a plea, seeking issuance of production orders for the PTI chairman with an argument that his client was on bail in the aforementioned cases that meant the trial couldn’t be held within the jail premises. It’s a state responsibility to look into the arrangements for transporting the accused from the prison to the court, he said, adding that police were responsible for the presenting an accused before the court.
According to the defence counsel, the imprisoned PTI chairman would have to be presented before the ATC court for trial. The police are bound to follow the orders if court directs them to do so. However, Prosecutor Raja Naveed was of the opinion that the court would have to keep in mind the prevailing security matters and reminded that several cases had been registered in the past in connection with the PTI chairman’s appearance before judiciary.
The PTI has been claiming that the jailed leader was facing life threats but is now calling for presenting him before the court, Raja pointed to the discrepancy in the former ruling party’s stance while requesting the judge to ask the jail superintendent for a providing the report on the security issues.
