The Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC), a special court for cases filed under anti-terrorism laws, has put off its reserved verdict in the Aleema Khan case for the third time. Independent News Pakistan reports that the reserved verdict has been deferred until 16 October. Aleema Khan is the sister of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan. The allegations are tied to a PTI protest on 26 November 2024, when supporters moved towards the capital.
Why the verdict was postponed
Independent News Pakistan reported that lawyer Muhammad Faisal Malik, who represents Aleema Khan, was in court. Staff at the court said the judge is on leave to attend a specialised training course. With the judge away, announcement of the reserved verdict was deferred to 16 October. A reserved verdict is a ruling the judge gives after studying the record, not one delivered the moment a hearing ends.
In the same proceedings the court also heard miscellaneous applications filed for Aleema Khan. Independent News Pakistan does not name those applications. It also does not record any order the court passed on them.
The protest behind the charges
The Aleema Khan case grows out of the protest on 26 November 2024. Thousands of PTI supporters headed for Islamabad even though public gatherings were restricted. In parts of the capital, including the Red Zone, violence followed clashes between protesters and security forces. The party then dropped the sit-in it had planned.
Police registered the matter at Sadiqabad Police Station in Rawalpindi. The allegations, as described by Independent News Pakistan, cover the protest, the violence and an alleged conspiracy. The defence has already finished questioning 19 witnesses called by the prosecution.
A 30-day detention in Lahore
Separately, the same account says Aleema Khan was detained in Lahore on a Sunday. The deputy commissioner ordered her held for 30 days under the Punjab Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) Ordinance. That law allows the district administration to detain someone for a limited period in order to maintain public order. Police later said she had been taken to Kot Lakhpat Jail.
The detention was ordered before a countrywide PTI protest and a march to Islamabad planned for 27 September. PTI has said the protest aims to demand Imran Khan's release. The report does not state whether the 30-day detention is still running.
What is fixed for 16 October
The Anti-Terrorism Court has now delayed this reserved verdict three times. The only new date in the report is 16 October. Until the court announces that decision, there is no public verdict in the Aleema Khan case. Muhammad Faisal Malik's appearance, the questioning of the 19 prosecution witnesses and the hearing of the miscellaneous applications are the steps the report records from this round.
