The hearing of the May 9 GHQ attack case before the Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) Rawalpindi on Tuesday turned chaotic when Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan was presented before the court through a WhatsApp video link. According to media reports,  the defence lawyers for Imran Khan requested permission to communicate with their client, which the court granted. 

However, as they attempted to speak with Imran Khan, the sound repeatedly dropped, and his image appeared unclear on screen. Frustrated by the poor quality of the virtual proceedings, the defence team boycotted the hearing. Prominent lawyers Salman Akram Raja and Faisal Malik walked out of the courtroom in protest. This is not the first time the high-profile case has witnessed such drama. At the last hearing on September 19, 2025, Imran Khan himself boycotted the proceedings when produced via video link from Adiala Jail.

His walkout prompted PTI lawyers to stage a protest exit as well.The case is being heard by Judge Amjad Ali Shah of the special anti-terrorism court. During the September 19 proceedings, the court allowed Imran Khan to speak with his lawyers. However, he refrained from engaging in legal arguments and instead made political remarks.That day, two IT officers from the Joint Investigation Team (JIT), Manzoor Shahzad and Inspector Saleem Qureshi, recorded their statements.

Inspector Qureshi told the court that he had downloaded 40 video clips related to Imran Khan and submitted them to the JIT.Judge Amjad Ali Shah also rejected a defence application seeking Imran Khan’s physical production in court, ruling that under the Punjab government’s notification, he would only appear via video link.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP)