Islamabad: An Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) has sentenced Islamabad Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Muhammad Jawad Tariq to one month in prison and imposed a fine of Rs100,000 for failing to submit the challan in a case related to the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) protest held on October 4, 2024.
The order was issued by ATC Judge Tahir Abbas Sipra, who expressed strong dissatisfaction over the continued delay in the submission of the investigation report despite repeated court notices and directives.
According to court proceedings, Islamabad Police repeatedly failed to file the challan in the case, prompting the court to initiate action against the senior police official.
The judge noted that DIG Muhammad Jawad Tariq did not appear before the court despite being summoned. As a result, the court handed down a one-month jail sentence along with a fine of Rs100,000.
The case relates to a PTI protest held in Islamabad on October 4, 2024, after which a criminal case was registered at Margalla Police Station against party leaders and participants.
Separately, PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan welcomed the prime minister’s recent offer of dialogue, describing political negotiations as the appropriate solution to political disputes.
Speaking to the media, Barrister Gohar stressed the importance of political tolerance and engagement, saying the country needed dialogue rather than confrontation.
He called for a serious and meaningful start to talks and expressed concern over restrictions on meetings with PTI founder Imran Khan, who remains incarcerated.
Barrister Gohar urged authorities to allow family members to meet the PTI founder, arguing that such a move could help improve the overall political environment.
“In politics, no one can be eliminated from the process,” he said, adding that imprisoning political opponents was inconsistent with democratic norms and that the current situation required reconciliation and political understanding.