11 arrest warrants cancelled, 15 frozen accounts to be restored, property seizures halted.
Aleema Khan appeared in a Rawalpindi anti-terrorism court for her November 26 hearing on Thursday, after threats of property seizure, frozen bank accounts, a blocked CNIC and passport, and 11 arrest warrants.
However, government counsel Zaheer Shah did not let the hearing proceed without raising the issue of Aleema’s continued absence, raising strong objections in court. The prosecutor noted that more than a month had passed since charges were framed against Aleema Khan, yet she had remained consistently absent.
No request for exemption from attendance had been submitted over the course of 11 hearings. The prosecutor added that her counsel had also been absent for the same period.
The prosecutor alleged that Aleema Khan had abused the bail system and that both she and her lawyers had deliberately flouted the law. He highlighted that on October 15, her counsel had challenged the court’s jurisdiction and had publicly emphasised this issue in the media while failing to appear in court.
“13 non-bailable warrants had been issued against Aleema Khan, but she did not appear despite signing for them”, prosecutor added. He advised that if the accused was dissatisfied with the proceedings or investigation, she should challenge them through the appropriate legal forum.
The prosecutor further stated that Aleema Khan had not challenged any trial or investigation in any court to date, and that the case had been ongoing for a year, with “delays solely attributable to her irresponsible conduct”. He urged her and her lawyers to prove her innocence in court rather than in the media.
The court remarked that Aleema Khan was legally under arrest and had ignored all judicial orders. Despite her bail being cancelled, she failed to appear, and multiple cases were registered against her in different cities.
The case being heard in the atc is registered at Sadiqabad Police Station, which includes charges of protesting against the government, chanting anti-government slogans, vandalism, and stone-pelting.
Read: ATC issues non-bailable arrest warrant for Aleema Khan for eighth time
Defence counsel Faisal Malik argued that given the number of cases across Lahore, Rawalpindi, and Islamabad, it was not always possible for her to attend every hearing. He requested that suitable dates and times be allotted for her appearances. “There are around 200 cases filed against Aleema Khan, making it impossible to attend all hearings,” adding that she often follows up on cases involving her brother, nephews, and sisters.
During the hearing, there was an exchange of words between Faisal Malik and Zaheer Shah regarding the failure to submit new bail bonds. Malik assured the court that copies of judicial orders would be provided and that new bonds could be submitted immediately.
He also emphasised that Aleema had appeared in court out of respect despite illness and requested that the court consider her health or any other issues for exemption applications.
The court questioned why she had not challenged her non-appearance, framing of charges, judicial notices, or investigation at any stage. The prosecutor requested a written commitment from her and her counsel to appear for the next hearing.
During proceedings, Aleema Khan’s counsel, Tabish Farooq, recited a verse by Faiz Ahmed Faiz: “We do not accept such a constitution, nor a dawn without light”
The court noted wryly that PTI lawyers seem “well-versed in Faiz’s poetry”.
The court instructed Aleema to attend all future hearings punctually and cautioned her to exercise care in complying with court orders. Aleema assured the court that she would attend future hearings and requested the defreezing of Namal University, Mianwali’s account.
The accused challenged the applicability of the terrorism clause, Section 7 ATA, in her case, requesting that it be declared unlawful. She also filed a petition for the restoration of all her frozen bank accounts. The court approved a hearing on Alima Khan’s request to remove the anti-terrorism provisions under Section 7 ATA from her case.
Read more: Imran’s sisters detained after 10-hour sit-in outside Adiala Jail
All 11 outstanding arrest warrants against her have been cancelled. A request to restore 15 of her frozen bank accounts has been approved for a hearing. Additionally, the process to seize her properties in Punjab and Islamabad has been halted. However, the court has stayed the process to seize her property in favour of the government.
The next hearing will include testimony from five witnesses. The charged proceedings lasted over an hour, with government counsel strongly opposing the cancellation of warrants and restoration of bank accounts.
The high-profile hearing lasted over an hour, during which government counsel strongly opposed the cancellation of arrest warrants and the restoration of bank accounts.
The court also requested arguments from both sides at the next hearing regarding two applications filed by her counsel: one challenging the court’s jurisdiction and the other requesting the unfreezing of accounts.
The court has adjourned further hearings until November 26, the upcoming hearing will include testimony from five witnesses.
11 arrest warrants
Non-bailable warrants were issued on October 14, 20, 22 and November 4 after Aleema failed to attend proceedings. On October 14, the court also rejected her lawyer’s request for exemption from personal appearance, noting she was to be formally charged in the case.
On September 18, ATC granted interim bail to Aleema in the November 26 D-Chowk protest case, with judge Amjad Ali Shah noting no clear evidence against her.
Aleema, the sister of incarcerated Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan, was directed to submit surety bonds of Rs50,000 and appear at hearings in the November 26 cases. These were later cancelled by the court due to her failure to show in court.
The court, due to her failure to appear despite issuing multiple arrest warrants, issued orders on October 24 to the Director General of NADRA to block Aleema Khan’s CNIC, instructed the Director General of Passports to block her passport, and ordered the Governor of the State Bank to freeze all her bank accounts.
D-Chowk Protest
On November 13, 2023, Imran Khan made a “final call” for nationwide protests to be held on November 24, demanding the restoration of PTI’s electoral mandate, the release of imprisoned party members, and the reversal of the 26th Amendment, which he claimed had empowered a “dictatorial regime”.
Also read: TTAP stands with Imran’s sisters after Adiala episode
The protest took place in D-Chowk, Islamabad, where supporters travelled from different provinces to heed Khan’s call.
The state rejected any possibility of negotiation, and an operation was conducted against the protestors, prompting the PTI leadership to flee the scene. The protest ended with the operation on November 26.
A notice was also sent to her guarantor, summoning them to appear before the court, and the court also cancelled Aleema Khan’s surety bonds.
Aleema Khan’s arrest
On Tuesday night, Rawalpindi police took the sisters of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan into custody, ending a 10-hour-long sit-in outside Adiala Jail. The three sisters, Aleema, Dr Uzma, and Noreen, were transferred to Chakri and later in the night returned home.
The sit-in had been staged near the Factory Checkpoint after the PTI founder and his family members, along with party leaders, were denied permission to meet at Adiala Jail on the day of a scheduled visit.
In a statement on the social media platform X, PTI claimed that police violently detained Imran Khan’s sisters while they were sitting peacefully outside Adiala Jail.
The statement also alleged that Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa provincial minister Meena Khan Afridi, MNA Shahid Khattak, and other party office holders and workers, including several women, were subjected to violence and taken into custody.
Around midnight, authorities first dispersed male party workers involved in the protest. Subsequently, the women’s police unit took the sisters into custody, placed them in a police van, and transferred them to Chakri. Following the action, the 10-hour-long sit-in was brought to an end, and the remaining workers dispersed peacefully.
