The Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) has resumed proceedings in the GHQ gate attack case at Adiala prison, where significant progress has been made, including more charges and debates on procedural issues. The meeting was adjourned until December 24.
During Saturday’s proceedings, three more suspects – Zain Qureshi, Raja Nasir Mahfooz and Raja Shahbaz – were formally charged, bringing the total number of accused in the case to 116. Earlier, 113 suspects were charged in the case.
Prosecutor Zaheer Shah called for action against three absent suspects: Muhammad Asim, Bilal Ijaz and Shaheer Sikandar. He called for the blocking of their identity cards, adding that a letter should be sent to the NADRA chairman to initiate the process.
Zaheer Shah also revealed that Muhammad Asim had been in Saudi Arabia since November, raising questions about how he traveled abroad despite court orders. He asked the Director General of Passports and Immigration to explain this apparent misconduct.
The court also heard arguments on a petition filed by PTI founders Imran Khan and Fawad Chaudhry seeking CCTV footage of the court hearing held on December 5. Both the prosecution and defense counsel, including Faisal Chaudhry, Faisal Malik and Muhammad Ali Bukhari, closed their arguments on the matter.
Prosecutor Zaheer Shah argued that the jail premises came under the jurisdiction of the Punjab Home Department. He advised the petitioners to approach the department for the footage or file a writ petition in the Lahore High Court if their application is rejected. The court reserved a decision on the motion, which will be announced on December 24.
Suspect Raja Shahbaz filed a separate petition challenging the adequacy of the evidence to charge him. The court heard the arguments of both sides and decided with reservation.
The case was adjourned until December 24, when a decision on the pending petitions is expected to be announced.
