Warrants out for K-P CM, PTI leaders

A Special Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) on Tuesday issued arrest warrants of several top Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders, including more than two dozen current and former assembly members, in 12 cases in connection with violent attacks on the sensitive state installations on May 9 last year.

Those, whose warrants were issued by ATC Judge Malik Ijaz Asif, included Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur, Senator Shibli Faraz, National Assembly Member (MNA) Zartaj Gul, MNA Zain Qureshi and others.

On May 9 last year, PTI supporters resorted to violent protests after the arrest of party founder Imran Khan’s arrest in a corruption case. The rioters torched the residence of the corps commander in Lahore, attacked the General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi and damaged other installations elsewhere.

The police lodged dozens of cases over the violent attacks and scores, including women activists, were arrested. A number of top PTI leaders also remained in hiding since then. The investigations into these cases still continued.

Judicial sources said that police investigation teams appeared before the ATC and requested for the issuance of arrest warrants to finalise the challans [indictments] in these cases. The ATC judge granted the police request.

The judge issued the arrest warrants of Ali Amin Gandapur, Shibli Faraz, Zulfi Bukhari, Shireen Mazari, in 12 cases over the attacks at the GHQ, Army Museum, a sensitive institution’s office and metro station in Islamabad and Rawalpindi.

Also read: SC issues notice in May 9 bail case

Similarly, the 29 current and former PTI assembly members, whose warrants were issued, included Murad Saeed, Zartaj Gul, Shehbaz Gill, Musrat Jamshed Cheema, Lt-Gen (retd) Akram Sahi, Basharat Raja, Raja Rashid Hafeez, Asim Bhatti, Mahmoodur Rasheed, Zain Qureshi, Hamad Azhar, and Ejaz Khan.

Other PTI supporters, facing the arrest warrants, included Col (retd) Shabbir Awan, Chaudhary Atif, Rana Sohail, Imran Nazir, Sajid Daniyal, Malik Abid, Rana Saifullah, Sardar Junaid, Obaid Nasir, Babar Lodhi, Atif Qureshi, Arsalan Noor, Chaudhary Nazir, Abdul Qayyum Jatt, Imran Abbasi, Tauheed Ahmed Seemabia Tahir, Usman Saeed Basra, Usman Dar, Ejaz Minhas and others.

All these leaders were charged with conspiracy in the cases registered at RA Bazaar, Race Course, New Town, Civil Lines, Sadiqabad and other police stations. A significant name missing from the warrants list is that of former Punjab chief minister Parvez Elahi.

When contacted, PTI sources told The Express Tribune that the PTI leaders and elected representatives would seek interim bail following the issuance of the warrants against them. The sources added that they would get the certified copies of the court order by Wednesday.

On the other hand, several police teams had been formed to comply with arrest warrants. According to the police sources in Rawalpindi, raids to make the arrests were expected to begin in the wee hours of Wednesday.