The court rejected her request for exemption from attending the hearing. The judge said there was no valid reason for her absence.

ATC Judge Amjad Ali Shah conducted the hearing and expressed concern over delays in the trial. He noted that witnesses had been called 37 times because of Aleema Khan’s repeated absence, calling it “irresponsibility”.

The court ordered the Rawal superintendent of police to ensure that the arrest warrant is carried out. The case has been adjourned until tomorrow.

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This is not the first time such orders have been issued. The Rawalpindi ATC has released multiple arrest warrants in the same case due to her repeated absence.

Earlier, on February 2, her lawyer argued that she would not appear in court until her bank accounts and identity card were unblocked. However, the court directed police to arrest and present her, stating that her bank accounts and identity documents could remain blocked.

Her computerized national identity card and passport were blocked by the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) in October last year under court orders.

The case relates to the November 26, 2024, protest in Rawalpindi, where Aleema Khan and 10 others are facing charges.

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On that day, PTI supporters entered Islamabad despite a ban on public gatherings and clashed with law enforcement near D-Chowk. Police used teargas to disperse the crowd.

The protests lasted three days and ended after intense clashes between protesters and security forces. The demonstrations were aimed at pressuring the government to release the PTI founder, who has been in jail since August 2023 in multiple cases filed after his removal from power through a no-confidence vote in April 2022.