ATC issues bailable warrants for Imran, others

Court summons PTI chief, three other party leaders to appear before it on 19th

ISLAMABAD:

An anti-terrorism court in Islamabad on Thursday issued bailable arrest warrants for PTI Chairman Imran Khan and other party leaders in connection with three cases related to the violence outside the Federal Judicial Complex (FJC) and the Islamabad High Court.

Besides the PTI chief, the court also issued warrants against Farrukh Habib, Senator Shibli Faraz and Imran’s nephew Hassaan Niazi over two cases registered at the federal capital’s Ramna police station and one at Golra police station.

During the hearing, the PTI chairman’s lawyers, Sardar Masroof, Attiqueur Rehman and Mirza Asim, filed a request for Imran’s exemption from attendance before the ATC saying that their client had to appear before the Lahore High Court.

ATC judge Abual Hasnat Zulqarnain told them that Imran must appear in the court.

The court issued bailable arrest warrants for Imran and other PTI leaders in the case of allegedly attacking the judicial complex.

The ATC adjourned the hearing till July 19.

Read Tribune Fact Check: Imran Khan’s arrest

It ordered the PTI chief and other suspects in the cases to appear before the ATC in a personal capacity on the next date of hearing.

On March 1 this year, the PTI chief’s convoy, accompanied by a mob of party supporters, reached the FJC and IHC for his appearance in hearings there.

The Ramna police station registered two cases against Imran as well as other PTI activists over charges of vandalism and threatening police personnel deployed at the two courts.

Several PTI supporters broke into the FJC as well as IHC.

They damaged property and threatened the police personnel at the two locations.

Later on May 18, intense clashes had broken out between the police and PTI activists who were part of the party chief’s convoy after they reached the judicial complex ahead of his appearance before the district and sessions court in the Toshakhana case.

According to the contents of a report, 47 officers and officials of the Islamabad police were injured during the riots and 34 of them were brought to the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) Hospital.

In addition to this, three injured FC personnel were also brought to the PIMS Hospital. Most of the injured suffered injuries from sticks on their limbs while some were affected by tear gas.

Islamabad Police SSP Operations Malik Jamil was also among the injured police officers.

Jamil was injured due to severe stone pelting by the PTI workers. The SSP operations was also shifted to PIMS Hospital.

The report also stated that the party activists also damaged vehicles and government property.

The Golra police registered a case against the PTI chief for creating unrest outside the FJC.