LAHORE, May 24, 2023: Jinnah House attack prime suspect Khadija Shah Wednesday complained of facing difficulty in breathing when she was brought to an anti-terrorism court.
The famed fashion designer was brought to the court today after her arrest in connection with May 9 vandalism.
Shah is the daughter of former Punjab finance minister Salman Shah and granddaughter of an ex-army chief. She had been on the run since police raided her home and was arrested last night.
While she was waiting in the police van ahead of her appearance before an anti-terrorism court today, Shah complained to a policeman that she was facing difficulty in breathing because it was very hot.
“I have asthma,” she informed the policeman.
However, the official told Shah that the investigation officer was busy in the high court and she would be taken inside the anti-terrorism court as soon as the IO reached the premises.
Meanwhile, the car could be moved to a spot in a shaded area, he added.
Shah was presented before an ATC judge after she was made to wait in the police van for more than an hour.
The fashion designer was brought to court with her face covered in a black cloth.
When the police presented Shah in court, they requested the judge to send her to jail for the identification parade.
She was also allowed to meet her husband in the courtroom.
After approving the police’s request, the court issued directives to present her on May 30 again.
The Lahore Corps Commander House or Jinnah House was attacked on May 9 when PTI stormed and burned it down following party chairman Imran Khan’s arrest in the £190m settlement case.
In an over 16 minutes-long audio message released on Sunday, Shah admitted that she was a PTI supporter and was part of the protest outside the Lahore Corps Commander’s House but denied committing any wrongdoing, including inciting people to violence.
Her arrest came after a report revealed how efforts to seek relief for the famed fashion designer failed miserably. She had fled when police raided her residence and had been on the run since then.
Punjab Interim Chief Minister Mohsin Naqvi had last week announced that the women involved in the May 9 attacks on the military installations would be arrested at all costs.
The army and the federal government have also vowed that all miscreants involved in the attacks on military installations would be tried under the Pakistan Army Act and the Official Secrets Act.
Following the attacks, thousands of PTI workers have been rounded up across the country, with several leaders also parting ways with the party over the May 9 mayhem.