Terrorism Charges to Be Added Against PTI Workers in Journalist Assault Case
Rawalpindi: Police have decided to add sections of the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) to the case involving Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) workers accused of assaulting media representatives outside Adiala Jail.
According to sources, Section 21-I will be applied, which pertains to obstructing, intimidating, or assaulting journalists in the line of duty. Following the inclusion of terrorism charges, the arrested suspects will be presented before the Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC), and further investigation will be assigned to an inspector-level officer for effective proceedings.
Meanwhile, two suspects arrested in connection with the case, Raja Sarfraz and Chaudhry Naveed, were produced before ATC Judge Amjad Ali Shah, who ordered their transfer to jail for an identification parade. The court directed that the process be completed and the report submitted by September 23.
The case was registered after journalist Tayyab Baloch lodged a complaint, alleging that PTI workers assaulted him when he questioned Aleema Khan about alleged property purchases in the United States using Shaukat Khanum Hospital funds. According to the FIR, Aleema Khan, PTI lawyer Naeem Panjotha, Intizar Satti, and around 40 unidentified party workers were involved in the attack.
Baloch stated that during the media interaction, Panjotha incited workers to “teach him a lesson.” He claimed that MPA Tanveer Aslam, Azfar, and Toma restrained him while other PTI workers, including Intizar Satti, launched a violent assault. His mobile phone was snatched, and his microphone was broken. Fellow journalists Ijaz Ahmed and Faisal Hakeem, who attempted to intervene, were also beaten.
The journalist further alleged that Aleema Khan initiated a social media campaign against him after he asked about her U.S. properties, sharing his and other journalists’ pictures online to malign them. He insisted that the assault was a planned attack.
Following his complaint, FIR No. 1169/25 was registered at Saddar Bairooni Police Station, naming Aleema Khan, Naeem Panjotha, Intizar Satti, and around 40 PTI workers. Sections 506, 147, 149, 382, and 427 of the Pakistan Penal Code were included in the FIR, with terrorism charges now set to be added.
