In a significant legal development, an Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) in Rawalpindi has dismissed the acquittal application filed by Aleema Khan, the sister of PTI's founder, in a case linked to the protests of November 26. The court also took a stern stance against police officials, issuing them contempt notices for failing to follow judicial orders.
Court Rejects Plea for Case Dismissal
The application, filed under Section 265-K of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC), was heard by Judge Amjad Ali Shah of ATC No. 1. Aleema Khan had sought the dismissal of charges against her, arguing that there were no reasonable grounds for the trial to proceed. However, the judge rejected her plea, clearing the path for the trial to continue.
Police Officials Face Contempt Proceedings
In a parallel action that underscored judicial frustration, the court issued contempt notices to senior police officials. This move came due to their willful defiance of a prior court order dated December 9, 2025. That order had mandated that all Investigating Officers and their supervisory officers, including SSPs and SPs, submit requisite challans under Section 173 CrPC within a strict period of 33 days for pending FIRs.
The court expressed strong dissatisfaction, noting that no challans or written reports had been provided, and a complete list of relevant FIRs was also missing. The notices were directed at the City Police Officer (CPO) and the Regional Police Officer (RPO) of Rawalpindi.
Case Adjourned, Trial to Proceed
Following these decisions, the court adjourned the hearing of the case until January 10. The dismissal of the acquittal plea means that the legal proceedings against Aleema Khan will move forward, while the police officials must now respond to the contempt charges for their failure to comply with the judicial directive.
