Non-bailable arrest warrants issued for Gandapur, 25 other PTI leaders in GHQ attack case

ATC orders CPO Rawalpindi to arrest the suspects and present them before the court by December 10

An anti-terrorism court in Rawalpindi has issued non-bailable arrest warrants for 25PTI leaders, including CM K-P Ali Amin Gandapur, Shibli Faraz, and Zain Qureshi, in connection with the attack on the General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi, Express News reported.

Judge Amjad Ali Shah of the Anti-Terrorism Court issued the warrants after the suspects failed to appear in court. The court has instructed the Chief Police Officer (CPO) of Rawalpindi to arrest the suspects and present them before the court by December 10.

In response, the CPO has formed special teams to carry out the arrests, as per the court’s directive.

The list of individuals facing arrest includes PTI leaders such as Maj. Tahir Sadiq, Zain Qureshi, Kanwal Shozeb, Azeem Ullah Khan, Shibli Faraz, Ali Amin Gandapur, Shehryar Afridi, Zohaib Afridi, and Umar Tanveer Butt, among others.

The GHQ attack case is one of several legal challenges facing leaders of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party following the May 9 unrest.

On Thursday, ATC indicted former prime minister Imran Khan and over 100 other PTI leaders and workers in a case related to an attack on the General Headquarters (GHQ) following the arrest of Imran on May 9, 2023.

An ATC in Lahore also indicted PTI Vice Chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi and some other PTI leaders in a case related to acts of violence committed on May 9 in Punjab's provincial capital.

GHQ Attack Case

Earlier this year, Imran Khan was arrested in the GHQ attack case, soon after his release warrant was issued in the cypher case.

The GHQ attack case involving Imran Khan is linked to his arrest on May 9, 2023, at the Islamabad High Court, where he was attending a hearing related to allegations of corruption.

Following Imran's arrest, widespread protests erupted across Pakistan, with his supporters and party members demanding his release. The protests escalated into riots, during which PTI supporters targeted and vandalised numerous civil and military installations.

Key sites of unrest included General Headquarters (GHQ) of the army in Rawalpindi, Jinnah House in Lahore, Mianwali airbase and Corps Commander House in Lahore.

Protesters set vehicles on fire, blocked roads, and clashed with police and security forces, leading to significant violence and property damage. In response to the unrest, the government arrested over 5,000 individuals, charging them under the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) and other laws.