An anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Rawalpindi issued non-bailable arrest warrants on Saturday for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur and several other PTI leaders in connection with the May 9 attack on the army’s General Headquarters (GHQ) during last year’s violent protests.
ATC Judge Amjad Ali Shah directed the Rawalpindi city police officer (CPO) to present all the suspects before the court on December 10.
Among those named in the warrants were PTI leaders Shibli Faraz, Shehryar Afridi, Zain Qureshi, Tahir Sadiq, and Taimoor Masood.
This development follows the indictment of PTI founder Imran Khan, along with dozens of other party workers, in the GHQ attack case. A total of 100 individuals, including former interior minister Sheikh Rashid, have been charged in the case, which was registered at the RA Bazar Police Station. Imran Khan and other leaders have denied the charges.
Over 143 people, including Khan, are named as accused in the case, while 23, including Zulfi Bukhari, Shahbaz Gill, and Murad Saeed, remain fugitives. Additionally, all accused individuals have been barred from traveling abroad.
Around 70 PTI leaders are accused of orchestrating the May 9 riots and inciting supporters to attack military and government facilities following the arrest of former Prime Minister Khan by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB).
The violent protests that erupted nationwide were triggered by Khan’s arrest in the £190 million settlement case. Hundreds of PTI supporters and leaders were arrested for their involvement in the attacks on military installations, including Jinnah House and the GHQ in Rawalpindi. The military declared May 9 as a “Black Day” and decided to try the protesters under the Army Act.
