Former Prime Minister and PTI founder Imran Khan boycotted the court proceedings of the GHQ (General Headquarters) attack case through video link on Thursday. The hearing was held at the Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) in Rawalpindi, where Imran Khan was scheduled to appear virtually. Despite multiple attempts, he refused to engage with the legal process and instead began making political remarks during the session.
According to court sources, Imran Khan was contacted three times before the hearing. At 10:30 AM, officials were told he would appear at 11:00 AM. However, after further delays, he finally appeared on video at around 11:25 AM. His legal team requested a private conversation with him during the hearing, which the court allowed. However, instead of discussing legal matters, Imran Khan reportedly shifted the conversation to politics.
When his lawyers informed him that they were challenging the video link notification in the High Court, they asked for his instructions. In response, Imran Khan told his lawyers to boycott the proceedings altogether. Following his direction, the defense lawyers walked out of the courtroom, although the court continued with the session as scheduled.
Despite the boycott, the court proceeded to record witness statements. Two prosecution witnesses — Sub-Inspector Saleem Qureshi and Sub-Inspector Manzoor Shehzad — testified during the hearing. Both presented five USBs containing video clips as evidence in the case. The court also dismissed the request to present Imran Khan in person, stating that he would continue to appear via video link as per the Punjab government’s notification.
The court adjourned the hearing until September 23 and summoned 10 more witnesses from FIA, PEMRA, PID, Internal Security, and the Ministry of Interior for the next session. The GHQ attack case is among the most serious charges faced by Imran Khan following the May 9 incidents that led to widespread violence across Pakistan.