ISLAMABAD:
An anti-terrorism court (ATC) on Wednesday issued non-bailable arrest warrants for Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan, Vice-Chairman Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) chief Dr Tahirul Qadri and others for attacking the Pakistan Television (PTV) building and Parliament House in August.
ATC Judge Syed Kausar Abbas Zaidi issued the warrants in response to two separate First Information Reports (FIRs) registered by the Secretariat police against Imran Khan, Tahirul Qadri, Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Awami Muslim League leader Sheikh Rashid Ahmad, Saifullah Niazi, Dr Raheeq Abbasi, Asad Umar and others.
The attacks took place on August 31 when PAT and PTI workers marched towards the Prime Minister House and the police were ordered to thwart their march. Subsequent clashes between the protesters and law enforcers resulted in the deaths of three PAT workers. Hundreds others, including both demonstrators and policemen, were wounded.
The FIR was registered on a complaint by Secretariat Police Station House Officer (SHO) Inspector Mehboob Ahmed. The complainant in his application said the protesters attacked the government building after snatching weapons from policemen. The main case is pending before the ATC where police had sought their physical custody.
A senior police official told The Express Tribune that police will arrest them and will produce them before the court. The official said Qadri is likely to land at Lahore’s Allama Iqbal airport on November 16. “That is when he’ll be arrested,” he said.
On October 21, PAT called off its Inquilab sit-in after a record 67 days. Currently Qadri is in Canada and will come back to Pakistan on November 16. PTI, meanwhile, is still moving forward with its Azadi march sit-in almost 92 days after party chief Imran Khan announced it.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 13th, 2014.
COMMENTS (10)
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Agreed with @uzair Aftab-Qureishi: First Arrest those who were victims of Model Town.
SO finally justice has been served to Buildings...what about Model town..there were live persons who made died by the government??? where is the justice????
This is the height of highhandedness and the cheapest attitude of the PMLN. No casualty took place. Yet, the court issued the orders. How about Model Town tragedy where near two dozens innocent people died but even FIR could not be registered?
Better late than never. These arrest warrants should have been served much earlier to save blushes for Pakistan who has been held to ransom for several months on grounds untenable in any court of law.
Justice must prevail and no anarchist should be spared.
Serves IK, TUQ, and their henchmen right. Although it's probably not going to help calm this situation down; may even put fresh wind in the flagging PTI sails. The government should tread carefully and strategically here.
It is time to face music for taking law unto one's own hands.
C'mon! We all know PMLN did that, every news channel showed evidence that the hooligans that committed these acts were people who worked in the PTV building. This is atrocious. People of Pakistan, if you want to live in a banana republic, if you want to have fake trials, if you want corruption, no electricity, then by all means don't do anything. If you actually want change, then Imran is currently your best bet.
This is a joke and so are the courts. Then again , in a battle to attain freedom, what else can one expect.
Imran Khan has caused more damage to Pakistan than India could ever imagine!
This miscreant in chief orchestrated attacks against the parliament of Pakistan and the PTV building. It's time to put this terrorist behind bars!