ATC issues non-bailable warrants for PTI's Murad Saeed, Hammad Azhar and others

The court ordered their arrest, and appearance by Nov 7 in connection with cases related to May 9 riots, vandalism.

An anti-terrorism court in Lahore has issued non-bailable arrest warrants for key Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders Murad Saeed, Hammad Azhar, and several others.

The court has ordered their arrest and appearance by November 7 in connection with cases related to the May 9 riots and vandalism.

The warrants extend to other PTI members, including Mian Aslam Iqbal, Mian Hammad Azhar, and Farhat Abbas. Additionally, non-bailable warrants have been issued for Wasik Qayyum, Zubair Niazi, and Hamid Raza Gilani.

These warrants were issued for cases filed at Gulberg Police Station and other police stations across Lahore.

The court has ordered authorities to ensure the suspects are presented by the specified date.

If they fail to appear, further legal action will be pursued.

Yesterday, former PTI Senator Azam Swati was sent to jail on judicial remand.

An Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) in Islamabad, along with other local courts, heard multiple cases related to protests involving former senator and PTI leader Azam Swati.

Swati was sent to jail on judicial remand, with the ATC calling for arguments on his bail plea in seven separate cases.

He was presented before Judge Tahir Abbas Sipra in the ATC, with his legal representative, Advocate Ali Bukhari, present in court.

Police transported Swati to the ATC from the Islamabad High Court, which had earlier annulled the physical remand initially granted by the ATC.

Judge Sipra committed Azam Swati to judicial remand by acting on the Islamabad High Court's orders.

Swati's legal team highlighted that since his initial detention on October 5, police have filed approximately 12 cases against him, including a recent FIR from the Margalla police station, which also led Judge Sipra to place him on judicial remand.

Meanwhile, a special anti-terrorism court (ATC) distributed the copies of challan pertaining to the attack on army's General Headquarters (GHQ) on May 9, 2023, to PTI founder Imran Khan and set November 8 as the date of his indictment in the case.

Special ATC judge Amjad Ali Shah also distributed the copies among other accused, including Shah Mahmood Qureshi. However, Since Qureshi was in a jail in Lahore, he could not receive the copies.

Qureshi request for exemption from appearance in the court was, however, accepted.

The PTI founder denied the allegations in the case calling it a political vendetta. However, he received the copis of the challan in the presence of his lawyers. The 9-page challan included 27 legal provisions pertaining to charges of serious nature.

In all, 125 people had been named accused in this case. The challan stated that the accused, led by former Punjab law minister Raja Bisharat attacked the GHQ on May 9, 2023.

They stormed and broke the GHQ gate and vandalised the premises.

The accused used sticks and stones and petrol bomb in the attack. They entered the GHQ premises despite strong resistance from the troops posted there and vandalised and set on fire sensitive military property with a view to create insurgency in Pakistan, according to the challan.