The Lahore High Court (LHC) has ruled that the notification allowing the police to present Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan via video link for physical remand is unlawful.
The verdict was delivered by a bench led by Justice Tariq Saleem, following a petition filed by Imran Khan challenging the notification for his video link appearance in connection with the May 9 cases. The court stated that presenting an accused via video link for physical remand could infringe on their fundamental rights.
The LHC clarified that the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) does not permit the issuance of such a notification for an individual. It noted that the home department had issued the notification without the approval of the cabinet, deeming it illegal.
The ruling also emphasized that while the ATA has undergone several amendments, Section 21-A regarding physical remand has remained unchanged. The court’s written verdict declared the video link notification invalid, though it allowed the accused to be presented via video link during trial proceedings.
The LHC accepted Imran Khanβs plea, which challenged the notification related to 12 cases stemming from the May 9 violence. Additionally, the Punjab government informed the court that 54 FIRs have been registered against Imran Khan across various districts in the province. According to the report presented by Farrukh Lodhi, a lawyer for the Punjab government, these cases are distributed as follows: 21 in Lahore, 19 in Rawalpindi, seven in Sheikhupura, five in Faisalabad, and one in Gujranwala.
