ATC grants bail to Aleema after placing her in judicial custody

ISLAMABAD: The Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) on Wednesday granted bail to Aleema Khan, the sister of jailed founding chairman of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Imran Khan, after placing her in temporary judicial custody in connection with a terrorism case related to November 26 protest.

ATC Judge Amjad Ali Shah, hearing the case, placed Aleema in temporary judicial custody after she appeared before the court following repeated absence in the hearings of the case.

Later, the court ordered her release and imposed a fine of Rs10,000 per witness – a total penalty amounting to Rs80,000 – for allegedly using delaying tactics in the trial.

At the start of the hearing, the court ordered that Aleema Khan be taken into temporary custody. In response, her lawyer argued that he was engaged in a hearing at the Supreme Court and requested permission to leave.

Prosecutor Zaheer Shah argued that, under Section 351 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC), the accused was in judicial custody and could not leave the premises without the court’s permission.

As Aleema Khan exited the courtroom, female police personnel took her into custody and escorted her back inside. The judge later fined her for allegedly obstructing the recording of witness testimonies.

Following a written request from Aleema Khan’s counsel, the court granted an extension of time. The prosecutor, noting that the witnesses had appeared on several occasions, urged that their statements be recorded without further delay.

Aleema Khan submitted two bail bonds worth Rs1 million each, after which the court allowed her to leave.

The hearing was adjourned until December 1.

Later, talking to the media, Faisal Malik, Aleema Khan’s counsel, said that when his client exited the court to speak with the press, the police surrounded her.

According to the law, Aleema Khan could not be taken into custody, he said, adding that the court clarified it had not issued any order for her detention.

He said the issue of taking his client into custody would be addressed at the next hearing. “I was at the Supreme Court. When I arrived at the court, I requested an extension of time. If the prosecution itself seeks a delay, no issue should arise,” he added.

The lawyer said that the accounts of Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital and Research Centre (SKMCH&RC) and NAMAL University have been frozen, and that they have already approached the court regarding the matter.

Aleema Khan expressed concern, saying that freezing her accounts, as well as those of NAMAL University and other institutions, jeopardizes the future of the students.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2025