GUJRANWALA: An anti-terrorism court in Gujranwala on Monday ordered the authorities to attach the properties of 51 absconding suspects, including several PTI leaders, who did not appear before the court in connection with a case about the attack on Gujranwala Cantt following the arrest of former prime minister Imran Khan on May 9.

The anti-terrorism court issued this order under Section 88 of the Pakistan Penal Code. In May this year, the Rahwali Cantt police had registered a case against suspects involved in an attack on the cantonment in which dozens of people were injured and one person was killed.

At the time, SSP Investigation Usman Tariq Butt had also received injuries. The FIR was registered under the anti-terrorism law and as well as on the charges of attempted murder

The ATC had also initiated the process of declaring the suspects as fugitives. As per the orders of the court, written announcements had been displayed outside the houses of these suspects as well as in different public places across the district. After their repeated absences, the court had also issued non-bailable warrants for the arrest of the suspects.

Absconders include PTI leaders

The absconding suspects whose assets would be seized included senior PTI leaders Hammad Azhar, Murad Saeed, PTI Secretary General Omar Ayub, Farrukh Habib, Ali Amin Gandapur, Zartaj Gul, Shaukat Bhatti (Hafizabad), Ahmed Chatha (Wazirabad), Bilal Ijaz, Mian Tariq, Zafarullah Cheema (Gujranwala) among others.

Other suspects in the case are former prime minister Imran Khan, former Punjab chief minister Chaudhary Parvez Elahi, Senior Vice Chairman Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Yasmin Rashid and Ijaz Ch.

Published in Dawn, January 2nd, 2024