ISLAMABAD: An Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC), on Tuesday, adjourned the hearing of a terrorism case registered against Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) President Pervaiz Elahi with respect to vandalism and violence at the Federal Judicial Complex (FJC) till December 21.
Elahi was produced before duty judge Shahrukh Arjumand amid tight security arrangements due not the non-availability of ATC judge Abul Hasnat Muhammad Zulqarnain. Elahi’s counsel Sardar Abdur Razaq and other lawyers appeared before the court.
Elahi’s counsel filed an application before the court seeking to allow his client’sfamily members to meet with him twice a week.
The judge inquired whether jail authorities did not allow Elahi’s family members to meet with him.
The counsel replied that only a single meeting is allowed in a week, requesting, Elahi’s family members be allowed to meet twice a week. My family members wait outside the jail for hours before every meeting, Elahi told the judge, adding that during the meetings in jail, he was not allowed to sit close to his family members.
“I not only sat away from my family members during the meeting but also around two to three security personnel are always present there,” he said, adding that we could not discuss domestic matters during the meeting.
The judge remarked that the court will look into the request after jail authorities submit its reply.
The court sought a reply from jail authorities over Elahi’s plea seeking two meetings a week and adjourned the hearing till December 21.
Talking to reporters, Elahi said that Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) is using the police and administration in their favour ahead of general elections, therefore, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) needs to take notice of the “pre-poll rigging” being done by the PML-N.
The PTI will move the Supreme Court after the announcement of the election schedule against the rigging, he said.
He claimed that no one would accept the election if the PTI was barred from taking part in the process. The PTI candidates will come to the scene after the announcement of the schedule, he said.
Elahi announced that he would contest general elections from Attock, Gujrat, and Mandi Bahauddin. Like the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), the PTI president also demanded a level-playing field in the elections. If the chief election commissioner wants to restore his reputation, then PTI should be allowed to hold public gatherings, he said.
To a question about an interview given by Khawar Maneka, the ex-husband of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan’s wife Bushra Bibi, Elahi said that Khawar Maneka should have given the interview at the time when Imran Khan was the prime minister.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2023
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