ISLAMABAD: An anti-terrorism court (ATC) on Friday accepted Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan’s plea seeking exemption from appearance in PTV and parliament attack cases. The PTI chief and other party leaders are accused of attacking the parliament and PTV headquarters during the 2014 sit-in in Islamabad. Earlier this year in May, an ATC had acquitted PTI chief in a 2014 case pertaining to torture of a police official. As the hearing started in ATC judge Kosar Abbas Zaidi’s court, Imran’s lawyer pleaded that due to commitments pertaining to election campaign, his client has sought an exemption from appearing before the court. The court ordered all accused in the case to appear before it on September 11, till when the hearing was adjourned. Other PTI leaders including Asad Umar and Raja Khurram were also exempted from appearing before the court. Published in Daily Times, July 21st 2018.