President Alvi appears ATC in Islamabad.

ISLAMABAD -- President Dr. Arif Alvi made his first appearance before an anti-terrorism court in Islamabad on Friday in the 2014 Pakistan Television (PTV) and Parliament House attack case.

President Dr. Arif Alvi, who is nominated in the case, arrived at the ATC along with his counsel Advisor to PM on Parliamentary Affairs Dr. Zaheeruddin Babar Awan and filed an application to decline availing presidential immunity that he enjoys under Article 248 of the Constitution.

The hearing was conducted by ATC judge Muhammad Ali Warraich. The president informed the court that he had the prerogative to avail immunity under the laws of Pakistan, "however, I choose to withdraw it as I believe there should no difference between anyone."

"I have tried to read Islamic history. There is no space for a pardon; I am bound by the Constitution of Pakistan. The Holy Quran is a bigger law than the Constitution," Alvi said.

The president said that the Constitution allows him to avail immunity, but he would not take it up."All the caliphs appeared in court with great dignity."

The president said he got to know in 2016 that he had been charged in the case pertaining to the ransacking of the Parliament and state-run PTV.

President Alvi said he had taken bail from the same court a few years back, as he urged the judiciary to wrap up the cases at the earliest.

"I request the entire judiciary to close at the earliest as once a case is filed, the next generation carries it on [due to delays]. My father filed a case in 1977 and it is going on till date," he said.

The court had reserved the verdict in the case last month, which will be announced on March 9.

Later, speaking to media outside the court, the president said he was bound to follow the country's laws but insisted that he did not want to avail immunity in the case. "I...