ATC summons Imran Khan on Feb 15 in SSP Junejo attack case

By
Awais Yousafzai

ISLAMABAD: An anti-terrorism court (ATC) summoned Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairperson Imran Khan on February 15 in a case related to violence during a sit-in in the capital in 2014.

The ATC is hearing cases against the PTI and Pakistan Awami Tehreek leadership, including that of the attack on the state television building, Parliament and the then-Islamabad SSP Operations Asmatullah Junejo.

ATC Judge Shahrukh Arjumand conducted the proceedings today and summoned Imran on Feb 15 in the Junejo attack case and on Feb 26 in the remaining cases.  

At present, Imran is out on bail in the case. 

Shah Mehmood Qureshi gets bail 

Earlier in the day, the court approved the interim bail of PTI leader Shah Mehmood Qureshi in all the cases.

Qureshi, who appeared in the court for the first time after absconding for about two years, was ordered to pay a surety bond worth Rs100,000.

On Tuesday, the Secretariat police had submitted an interim charge-sheet before an ATC. The charge-sheet named PTI chief Imran Khan as a suspect and included a list of 14 witnesses against the party chief. 

A CCTV footage of the attack on Junejo was also included in the charge-sheet.

2014 dharna violence

On September 1, 2014, violence broke out in the federal capital when PTI and PAT supporters attempted to break a police cordon and storm the PM House, using cranes to remove barricades.

The decision to march to the PM House was taken after talks between the government, PTI and PAT had failed to end the deadlock over the resignation of the then-prime minister Nawaz Sharif.

The two parties were protesting 'rigging' in the 2013 general elections.

The clashes between police and protesters resulted in the deaths of three people and injuries to over 560. 

Of the injured, 77 were security officials deployed in the Red Zone, including SSP Junejo, had to spend several days in the ICU due to the serious nature of his injuries.

It was Junejo's first day on the post, after assuming command from SSP Operations Ali Nekokara. Junejo, known as an upright officer, was recently posted back to the capital as the assistant inspector general (operations).