LAHORE: Advocate Sameer Khosa, the counsel for Khadija Shah, has clarified a news item published in the newspaper about his client’s wish to contest the next general election.

He said it was PTI Punjab President Dr Yasmin Rashid in fact, who told a judge of an anti-terrorism court that she wanted to participate in the Feb 8 polls.

He said Dr Yasmin, Ms Shah and former governor Omar Sarfraz Cheema were not presented by the police before the court on the previous hearing of Askari Tower attack case and made to attend the proceedings on a video link from jail.

The lawyer said both women told the judge about their issues. He said Dr. Yasmin mentioned participating in the election, not Khadija Shah.

“An impression was created as if Shah had expressed a desire to participate in the upcoming general elections, which is entirely a misunderstanding,” the lawyer said.

Ms Shah, also a granddaughter of former army chief Asif Nawaz Janjua, had surrendered to the police on May 23. Initially, she went into hiding to avoid arrest in the May 9 cases including an attack on the corps commander residence.

She has been granted bail by the courts in all cases against her, including one made by the FIA, on charges of posting social media messages to incite people against the army during the May 9 protests.

Published in Dawn, December 12th, 2023