RAWALPINDI: An Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) on Monday rejected a petition filed by incarcerated Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founding chairman Imran Khan’s sister Aleema Khan challenging her indictment in a terrorism case linked to the November 26 protest. Aleema Khan, through her counsel Faisal Malik, filed a petition before ATC Judge Amjad Ali Shah contesting the indictment proceedings against her in the case registered against her and other PTI leaders at Sadiqabad Police Station. Defense counsel Malik argued that the court had not framed the charge in the presence of the accused. Under the law, the presence of the accused was mandatory during indictment, he said. He further contended that the indictment must bear the signatures of the accused. The accused and I [lawyer] learned about the indictment through media reports. Prosecutor Syed Zaheer Shah opposed the plea, stating that the court had framed a charge against the accused on October 15. The accused did not challenge it after the passage of two months from the indictment, he said, adding that raising objections at this stage was an attempt to delay the trial. He said that the accused and her counsel were deliberately using delaying tactics. The accused has been granted multiple opportunities again and again, he said, adding that no accused had challenged the framing of charges despite the passage of two months in any court. Prosecutor Syed Zaheer Shah asserted that charges against the accused were framed strictly in accordance with the law. The court, after hearing arguments of both parties, rejected the application of Khan’s sister. After dismissing the accuser’s plea, the court started the trial of the case and recorded statements of eight prosecution witnesses. The court recorded statements of Sub-Inspector (SI) Muhammad Zaheer, SI Muhammad Iqbal, IT assistant Baber Khan, Moharar Muhammad Mursaleen and Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) Arif Mehmood. Aleema Khan was present in the courtroom during the recording of the statements of the witnesses. The court adjourned the hearing of the case until December 22 and summoned five more witnesses to record their statements. Talking to reporters outside the court, Aleema Khan stated that false witnesses have been produced before the court. Referring to the family meeting with Khan, she said that Tuesday is our scheduled visitation day for meeting with Imran Khan, and that she and her other sisters will go to Adiala jail. Aleema Khan made it clear that only those who seek the release of Khan are part of our team. The PTI founding chairman team is our team, she said. She dismissed the reports of division within the party. She said that rumours about Aleema Khan’s group and Khan’s wife Bushra Bibi’s group, are just propaganda. Commenting on internal party criticism, she said she was surprised that some people take MNA Sher Afzal Marwat seriously. She further alleged that the PTI founder has been kept in solitary confinement. Referring to a photograph of Khan that recently surfaced on social media, she said she believed the picture was genuine but old. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025