PPP activists appear before court tomorrow

Published September 12, 2004

ISLAMABAD, Sept 11: The acquittal application of over 50 PPP activists charged for allegedly attacking the Parliament House in April 1998 will be heard on Monday in the court of judicial magistrate Aamir Salim Rana.

The application was filed on May 6 by Advocate Shah Khawar upon which the court issued notices to the prosecution and fixed May 22 for hearing.

However, the prosecution did not come up with reply to the notice on May 22 and the judge adjourned the case till September 13 serving also a reminder on the prosecution.

The accused include MNAs Naheed Khan, Raja Pervez Ashraf and Nayyar Bokhari, Senator Farhatullah Khan Babar, MPA Nishat Afza, Shahzadi Kausar Gillani, Ibne Rizvi, Sultan Mahmood Qazi, Syed Abrar Rizvi, Raja Jehangir Akhtar, Shabbir Anjum, Mahboob Khan and Majeed Niazi.

The PPP has asked all the accused to be present in court.

The PPP activists were charged initially under terrorism law for allegedly attacking the Parliament House on April 20, 1998. Later, terrorism charges were dropped and the accused were charged under half a dozen sections of the PPC.