Dubai: In a significant legal development, an Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) in Lahore has granted approval for the prosecution to conduct polygraph and photogrammetric tests on former Prime Minister Imran Khan, who is currently incarcerated.
The tests, which include lie detection and facial and voice analysis, will be carried out in relation to 12 cases linked to the May 9, 2023, riots. The decision was made despite opposition from Khan’s defense lawyer, who questioned the timing of the tests, 727 days after the incidents.
On Wednesday, ATC-I Judge Manzer Ali Gill authorised the tests after the prosecution submitted a formal application, which was opposed by Khan’s legal team, Dawn news reported on Thursday.
Barrister Salman Safdar, representing the PTI leader, raised concerns over the delay in conducting the tests, asserting that the bail granted in 21 cases and the legality of the statements previously approved by the Lahore High Court rendered the new tests unnecessary.
The prosecution, however, argued that the tests were essential to meet investigative requirements, particularly following the Supreme Court’s endorsement of such methods. Special Prosecutor Rana Aazar said that Imran Khan had refused to undergo the tests without his lawyer’s presence and reiterated the legal necessity of a voice match test.
Deadline
Judge Gill set a 12-day deadline for completing the tests and specified that the prosecution could meet Khan at Adiala Jail, where he is currently held, to carry out the necessary procedures. The cases in question involve incidents related to the attacks on Jinnah House, Askari Tower, Shadman police station, and various PML-N party offices.
Other Developments:
Meanwhile, the Lahore High Court has revised the trial schedule for the May 9 riot cases, which are being expedited as part of the Supreme Court’s directive to conclude them within four months.
The trials, previously held three days a week, will now take place four days a week at Kot Lakhpat Jail. The new schedule aims to accelerate the proceedings, with several prominent PTI figures, including former Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi and former Governor Omar Sarfraz Cheema, facing trial alongside Imran Khan.
This development comes amid mounting pressure to fast-track the trials associated with the May 9 violence, in which multiple government and military targets were reportedly attacked by PTI supporters.
