ATC indicts PTI leaders in rioting, arson cases
Police try to stop PTI activists on Sharae Faisal from heading towards the Red Zone during a protest against the botched assassination attempt on Imran Khan. Photo: Express
An anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Karachi on Saturday indicted 15 members of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) including senior leaders Ali Zaidi and Khurram Sher Zaman in two cases related to rioting and arson during the party's long march on May 25.
The Express Tribune learned that the ATC heard two cases against PTI leaders including Ali Zaidi, Khurram Sher Zaman, Jamal Siddiqui, Arsalan Taj, Firdous Shamim Naqvi and others.
All the accused appeared before the court and denied the charges prompting the court to summon the prosecution witnesses. The court granted the request and summoned the witnesses in next hearing on December 15.
The lawyer representing the PTI leaders, Advocate Shujaat Ali said that the court has also approved the interim bail of all the accused.
As many as nine PTI leaders have been nominated in the cases while 28 workers have been arrested. However, no nominated leader has been arrested so far.
Soldier Bazaar police registered two cases of sit-in protest, rioting and arson at Numaish Chowrangi against the PTI leaders and activists.
It may be recalled that over 2,000 supporters of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf had gathered at the Numaish Chowrangi on the call of the party leader Imran Khan to stage sit-ins across the country.
Men, women, children and elderly people had spread out rugs and started the sit-in on the road while some were seen sitting atop the containers placed by the district administration to stop the protestors from reaching the venue.
PTI Karachi wing succeeded in carrying out its protest at Numaish Chowrangi despite the preventive measures of the police and closure of roads leading to the protest venue.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 13th, 2022.