ISLAMABAD. President Arif Alvi on Friday filed an appeal in the anti-terrorism court that sought an end to presidential immunity in the PTV, parliament attack case.

ATC judge Muhammad Ali Warraich heard proceedings of the case. Alvi had appeared before the court with his counsel Babar Awan – the prime minister’s adviser on parliamentary affairs.

In his plea, Alvi sought bail and an end to exemption being given to him in the case.

“The court is about to write its verdict in the PTV, parliament attack case, I thought there should be no advantage because of the immunity. The Constitution of Pakistan grants me the immunity but I don’t want to avail this immunity,” he informed the court

The president added that he abided by the Constitution and the Holy Quran was the “greater Constitution” and contended that there was no room for exemption in Islam.

“In 2016, I was accused of supplying arms,” Alvi said, adding that a case registered against him in Sialkot after becoming the president. He contended that he did not avail the immunity but presented his counsel and win the case. “Until everyone is equal in the court, there will be a delay in the dispensation of justice.”

President Alvi further informed the court that the law should be equal for everyone and stressed the need for treating the rich and poor equally.

He appealed to the judiciary to expedite the dispensation of justice in order to remove the backlog of the cases.

The court had reserved the verdict in the case last month that would be announced on March 9.

Later outside the court, Alvi told reported that he had appeared before the court as a common citizen, not as a president. “Everyone is equal and justice is served equally. Every person is bound to abide by the law, whether the person was a president or prime minister.”

He replied “unrelated” while responding to a query pertaining to the opposition’s no-confidence motion against PM Imran Khan in parliament.

According to the copy of the bail application, which is available with Aaj News, read that the "false case" was pending adjudication before this court, wherein a "political rival regime" made "fabricated" allegations against the PTI leadership including the petitioner.

It read that the court had already acquitted some of the accused persons -- including PM Imran Khan -- whereas the petitioner was on the bail in the case. "That the petitioner is serving the nation as head of the state of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, at present. The Constitution of the country is founded on Islamic principles and in terms of the preamble, Article 2 (A), 4, 9 and 25, all citizens of the country including the petitioner, are equal and must be treated at parity under and before the law."

Alvi, as head of the country, urged that the presidential immunity "must be ignored/removed."

He also shared the case registered against him in Sialkot.

"That the concept of immunity is alien to Islamic jurisprudence. The Khulafa themselves were questioned by common people and they yielded with dignity to the Court of Justice, to be carried out. Indeed the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) spoke about his own daugther as being equal before the law," it read.

Parliament House, PTV attack

During the August 2014 sit-in, the PTI and the Pakistan Awami Tehrik workers marched towards the Parliament House and Prime Minister House and clashed with police deployed at the Constitution Avenue. The protesters also attacked the premises of PTV and briefly took control of the building, with videos of the incident making rounds on social media.

Police invoked the Anti-Terrorism Act against PTI chief Imran Khan and leaders – including Arif Alvi, Asad Umar, Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Shafqat Mehmood and Raja Khurram Nawaz for inciting violence during the 2014 sit-in.

As per the prosecution, three people were killed and 26 others were injured while 60 individuals were arrested. The prosecution had submitted 65 photos, sticks, cutters and other objects to the court as evidence to establish its case.