ISLAMABAD: Perhaps due to lack of coordination among lawyers for Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI), the Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) could not announce its decision on the acquittal plea of Prime Minister Imran Khan in the Parliament House and PTV attack cases.

ATC Judge Raja Jawad Abbas Hassan had last month reserved verdict in the case which was supposed to be announced on Thursday.

PTI leaders, including President Dr Arif Alvi, Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Defence Minister Pervaiz Khattak, Education Minister Shafqat Mehmood and Minister for Planning Asad Umar had withdrawn identical petitions to save the court from taking time to decide so many petitions.

However, when the proceeding was resumed on Thursday, a court official said dozens of PTI workers were also seeking same relief and it was not possible for the judge to decide the single petition and keep the others pending.

This was due to the fact that the legal team of the PTI did not make any effort for withdrawal of the petitions pending even before Mr Khan applied for the acquittal.

Subsequently, the court observed that the case would be decided after hearing all other applicants.

Further hearing in the petition was adjourned to Dec 12.Police had invoked Anti-Terrorism Act against PTI chief Imran Khan, Arif Alvi, Asad Umar, Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Shafqat Mehmood, Ejaz Chaudhry and others for inciting violence during the 2014 sit-in.

Published in Dawn, December 6th, 2019