Violating Section 144: Arrest warrants issued for IK, Qadri

A local court on Tuesday issued non-bailable arrest warrants for Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan and Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) chief Tahirul Qadri for violating Section 144 and clashing with police during the two parties’ anti-government sit-in in 2014. Judicial Magistrate Assistant Commissioner Waqas Rasheed also issued warrants for another 25 people in the case. Imran Khan, Qadri and a few other suspects did not appear before the court, which had earlier issued warrants for them. The court re-issued non-bailable arrest warrants for 27 suspects including the two leaders on Tuesday. The court also chargesheeted DJ Butt in the case. Butt, however, denied the charge.  The court summoned prosecution witnesses and directed police to produce challan within 15 days.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 24^th, 2016.