ISLAMABAD: An anti-terrorism court (ATC) in the federal capital will indict Khyber Pakhtun­khwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur and other accused in a two-year-old violence case.

The cases were registered in Sangjani and Ind­ustrial Area of police stations of Islamabad over acts of violence during PTI’s protests on May 26, 2022.

On Monday, ATC Judge Tahir Abbas Sipra resu­med hearing on the two FIRs registered against Mr Gandapur and other PTI leaders.

One of the accused, Raja Khurram Shehzad, who was a part of PTI two years ago but later joined PML-N, was also present in the courtroom.

During the proceedings, copies of the challan were distributed among all suspects nominated in the FIRs.

The court decided to in­­d­ict the accused on the next hearing and adjour­ned proceedings till July 29.

Mr Gandapur appeared in the court today after Judge Sipra issued his non-bailable arrest warrant at the last hearing over his continuous absence since April.

After the hearing on Monday, the KP CM talked to media persons and said that during his recent meeting with a US delegation, he expressed concerns over the controversial cipher and urged them to probe the issue.

While referring to the recently approved provincial budget, he claimed it was the first time the KP government did not seek a loan and presented a 100bn surplus budget.

The CM added that his provincial government will be restarting the Health Card insurance scheme and planned to produce 800MW electricity by 2028.

According to him, the KP government will also create 100,000 new jobs.

He also warned that if PTI founder Imran Khan initiated a hunger strike, the party would expand pea­­ceful protests across the country as it was their right.

Last week, Mr Khan revealed he was contemplating a hunger strike if he continued to be denied justice by courts.He was talking to the reporters after attending proceedings in the £190m corruption case on Friday when he said that cases must not be decided on the basis of ‘like or dislike’, as all citizens are equal before the law.

Published in Dawn, July 9th, 2024