Will consult lawyers over immunity in criminal case: Arif Alvi

KARACHI: Responding to media reports over constitutional immunity that president-elect might possibly seek in a pending criminal case, Arif Alvi says he doesn’t intend to apply for immunity, ‘but will consult the lawyers’.

Mr. Alvi and other PTI leaders are facing a case related to attacks on Pakistan Television and Parliament House under the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) during the 2014 sit-in.

Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf’s lawyer Ali Bukhari had also appeared before the anti-terrorism court (ATC) yesterday in the court in this regard. He later told media that Dr Alvi had been elected president, hence he enjoyed constitutional immunity and could not be tried in criminal cases.

He said the matter would be brought into the knowledge of ATC Judge Syed Kausar Abbas Zaidi at the next hearing.

In his tweet, Dr Alvi quoted a media report about his alleged plan to seek immunity and said: Aw Come on. I don’t intend to. The accused in this case are also my PM @ImranKhanPTI and Ministers @Shafqat_Mahmood @Asad_Umar and @SMQureshiPTI How can I seek immunity? Will consult my lawyers.”

In January this year, an anti-terrorism court had granted bail to three senior leaders of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) including Arif Alvi, Shireen Mazari and Asad Umar in four cases related to the attack on the Pakistan Television (PTV) and then SSP Islamabad (Operations) Asmatullah Junejo during the 2014 sit-in in the federal capital.

ATC Judge Shahrukh Arjumand was hearing the cases against PTI chief Imran Khan and Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) chief Tahirul Qadri alongside the three leaders when granted bail to them against Rs100,000 surety bonds each.

In a case, 70 people were booked after a mob of protesters belonging to the PTI and PAT stormed PTV headquarters and forced its staff to take two of the state broadcaster’s flagship channels — PTV News and PTV World — off the air on Sept 1, 2014.