Tag: Anti-Terrorism Act

  • Khan ‘worried’ about change of judge in Zeba Chaudhry case, says Khan’s lawyer

    Khan ‘worried’ about change of judge in Zeba Chaudhry case, says Khan’s lawyer

    The legal team of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan has said that the change of the judge hearing the Zeba Chaudhry case against Imran Khan is quite shocking for the former prime minister.

    “The PTI chairman was shocked and worried at the change of the judge hearing the Judge Zeba Chaudhry case,” said one of the PTI chief’s legal counsels, Salman Safdar, in a media talk outside the Attock jail after meeting his client.

    Justice Malik Aman should not have been changed at this critical time, the lawyer said, as he was going to announce the decision soon.

    Salman Safdar also said that the former prime minister apologised to Judge Zeba Chaudhry in her court for passing remarks against her in a public rally.

    In August last year, Imran Khan was booked under the Anti-Terrorism Act for threatening additional sessions Judge Zeba Chaudhry and other police officers of the Islamabad police in a public gathering.

  • Sessions court judge approves Khan’s bail till October 13

    Sessions court judge approves Khan’s bail till October 13

    A sessions court in Islamabad has approved till October 13 the interim bail plea of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan in a case pertaining to his controversial remarks against a female judge during a rally in Islamabad.

    Sessions court judge Kamran Basharat Mufti approved Khan’s interim bail plea, filed by Babar Awan, after a short hearing. Khan has been asked to pay surety bonds of Rs50,000.

    Awan, while speaking to media after the hearing, said that all the cases against Khan are false.

    “PTI is returning [to power] with two-third majority. If there is anyone who can bring change, it is Imran Khan,” he said. The lawyer said that the PTI chair has never ever given the excuse of being ill.

    Awan went on to say that the infamous cypher that Imran Khan blames for the toppling if his government, was an “interference and conspiracy.”

    “We don’t accept anyone who talks against Pakistan,” he said.

    Earlier, on September 19, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) cancelled the terror charges against the former Prime Minister and ordered that the case be transferred to a relevant court under the remaining sections in the FIR.

    Following the order the anti-terrorism court, on September 20, transferred the case to a sessions court and removed the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) section from the case.

    On September 22, during a hearing of a contempt case in IHC, Imran Khan also requested the court to allow him to apologise to Additional District and Session Judge Zeba Chaudhry in person.

  • Punjab govt removes TLP chief Saad Rizvi’s name from Fourth Schedule

    Punjab govt removes TLP chief Saad Rizvi’s name from Fourth Schedule

    The Punjab government on Wednesday removed Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) Chief Saad Hussain Rizvi’s name from the Fourth Schedule — a list of proscribed individuals who are suspected of terrorism or sectarianism under the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA), 1997, reports Dawn.

     The Punjab Home Department issued a statement: “The name of Hafiz Mohammad Saad, being Ameer of Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan, a proscribed organisation, was listed in the 4th Schedule of Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997, under Section 11-E on the recommendations of District Intelligence Committee, Lahore.”

    A copy of the Punjab Home Department notification

    “Therefore, name of Hafiz Mohammad Saad is hereby deleted from the list of 4th Schedule of Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997, with immediate effect,” it stated.

    Police had arrested Rizvi on April 12 this year ahead of planned protests by the TLP. 

    The government, on November 7, revoked the ban on TLP.

    Interior Minister Sheikh Rasheed on Thursday said, “I want to state this on oath, I don’t know what the agreement with Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) is.”

    The minister when questioned about the “secretive agreement” of the government with TLP, responded that thankfully he has been able to escape problems and said, “I am not a part of this problem.”

    Earlier, the government decided to disclose the details of the agreement with the TLP in the next 10 days.

  • Punjab government revokes ban on TLP

    Punjab government revokes ban on TLP

    The government on Sunday revoked the ban on Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP).

    The notification in this regard was issued by the Ministry of Interior on Sunday, a day before a meeting of the Parliamentary Committee on National Security is being held in the National Assembly in which the Opposition members are expected to debate on this matter.

     “The provincial cabinet has considered the request of the organisation and in view of the assurance and commitment by the organisation, is of the opinion that the said organisation shall abide by the Constitution and laws of the country and therefore, keeping in view the larger national interest and long term perspective to ensure that such incidents do not recur in future, the government of Punjab has proposed to the federal government to consider revoking of proscription of Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan,” read the notification.

    “In exercise of the powers conferred under sub-section (1) of Section 11U of the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997 (as amended), the federal government is pleased to remove the name of Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan from the First Schedule of the said Act as a proscribed organisation for the purposes of the said Act,” said the notification.

    TLP had been placed in the First Schedule as a proscribed organisation by the federal government on April 15 this year on the recommendation of the Home Department of Punjab.

    The Punjab government initiated the process to unban TLP last week. Punjab Home Department sent a summary for the revocation of the TLP ban to Chief Minister (CM) Punjab Usman Buzdar and his cabinet.