LAHORE: The Lahore police on Wednesday registered seven cases (four of them under anti-terrorism act) on murder, robbery, attack on police and dozens of other charges against PTI Chairman Imran Khan, Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Murad Saeed, Ali Ameen Gandapur and other top leadership of the party.

A case was lodged against them with Sarwar Road police station under ATA and 20 other heinous offences for attacking the Jinnah House (the Corps Commander House) in Lahore Cantt, looting valuables worth over Rs150 million and setting it on fire.

Complainant DSP Ashfaq Rana nominated PTI chief Imran Khan, Shah Mahmood Qureshi, several other senior leaders and 1,500 workers in the FIR.

He alleged that PTI leaders Mian Aslam Iqbal and Mahmoodur Rasheed armed with weapons were leading the charged mob which later turned violent while heading towards Lahore Cantt area.

ATA section invoked in four FIRs; Imran, Qureshi, Murad, Gandapur, Asad, Hammad among the nominated

The DSP alleged that they chanted slogans against Pakistan Army and announced that Imran Khan, Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Farrukh Habib, Hammad Azhar, Jamshed Cheema, Musarat Jamshed Cheema, Zubair Niazi, Ali Amin Gandapur had directed them to attack on police and set public and private properties alight.

He said the armed men fired shots on the police besides throwing stones, leaving dozens of police personnel including the DIG operations and SPs injured seriously.

The DSP alleged that Mahmood Rasheed and Mian Aslam Iqbal allegedly shot dead two persons.

Meanwhile, a charged mob of 500 PTI workers forced their entry into Jinnah House, and ransacked the property.

In another case, the Gulberg police nominated Imran Khan, Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Hammad Azhar, Ijaz Chaudhry, Umar Sarfraz Cheema, Murad Saeed, Asad Umar and other members of the core committee under terrorism, murder, robbery and other heinous charges.

The police also nominated 1,200 PTI workers, activists and other supporters for carrying out violent attack on the police and for setting the Askari Tower in Gulberg ablaze.

Many other serious offences were inserted in the cases registered with North Cantt, Gulberg, Racecourse, and other police stations.

In an FIR registered with Gulberg police on the complaint of inspector Imran Sadiq, it was alleged that PTI leaders Hammad Azhar, Ijaz Chaudhry and Umar Sarfraz Cheema were armed with weapons when they led a rally of nearly 1,200 party workers on Tuesday.

He said they raised ‘highly objectionable’ slogans against the Pakistan Army.

They provoked the workers and then attacked the Askari Tower located near Main Boulevard, Gulberg.

The complainant alleged that the attackers damaged the private property including window glasses of the building.

The attackers were heard saying they have received directions from Imran Khan and Shah Mahmood Qureshi.

The mob lobbed petrol bombs on the police, opened fire and also incited the mob to carry out attack.

They later set aflame the building (Askari Tower) from where the Rescue 1122 crew recovered body of a man during operation, the complainant said.

Published in Dawn, May 11th, 2023