PTV attack case: President Arif Alvi appears before ATC

PTV attack case: President Arif Alvi appears before ATC

Obaid Abrar Khan
March 4, 2022

PTV attack case: President Arif Alvi appears before ATC

ISLAMABAD: President Dr Arif Alvi, on Friday, appeared before the Anti-Terrorism Court Islamabad in a case about a 2014 attack on the parliament house and Pakistan Television.

President Alvi drove to the premises of the ATC himself without any security or protocol along with PM’s Adviser on Parliamentary Affairs Babar Awan.

President Alvi said that although he had immunity, he wanted to appear before the ATC for trial.

President Alvi requested the court to remove his presidential immunity during the hearing.

Proceedings against the president were earlier suspended under Article 248(2) of the Constitution. It states, “No criminal proceedings whatsoever shall be instituted or continued against the president or a governor in any court during his term of office.”

President Alvi said he had studied Islamic literature and found no exceptions were granted to leaders.

“The Constitution of Pakistan binds me, but the Quran is a bigger constitution. The Constitution of Pakistan exempts me, but I do not want to take it. All the caliphs who assumed power appeared in the courts with great dignity,” said President Alvi.

He said that justice could not prevail until the rich and poor were treated equally. He solicited that the judiciary should ensure timely verdicts.

“Here [in Pakistan], cases run through generations. Witnesses die, papers are lost, and memories fade away.”

The ATC set March 9 as the date to announce its verdict.

On August 31, 2014, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) workers had marched towards the Parliament House and Prime Minister House, clashing with the police deployed there. As a result, around 50 protesters of both parties were booked for attacking and injuring SSP Asmatullah Junejo.

The police went to the ATC against PTI leaders, including Imran Khan, Arif Alvi, Asad Umar, Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Shafqat Mehmood, and others, for inciting violence during the 2014 sit-in.

Prime Minister Imran Khan was granted permanent exemption in 2018 in the case after his lawyer Babar Awan promised to appear at every hearing on his behalf.