TOBA TEK SINGH: Faisalabad Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) Judge Javed Iqbal Sheikh on Wednesday adjourned until Nov 27 the hearing of the cases (FIRs 732 and 835) registered against hundreds of PTI activists for their involvement in May 9 riots erupting after the arrest of party founder Imran Khan.

Dozens of PTI leaders and activists appeared before the ATC that issued warrants for the arrest of all those suspects who so far did not appear before it.

The court will frame charges against the suspects on the next hearing.

The ATC adjourned until Nov 25 the hearing of the cases registered under FIRs 832 and 1277.

Lawyers thwart bid to arrest Zartaj on court premises

In both cases the court issued summons of remaining suspects, asking them to appear on this date to provide them copies of evidences against them.

Court accepted the plea for one-time exemption from appearance filed by the opposition leaders in the National Assembly and Senate, Umar Ayub and Shibli Faraz, respectively, besides 12 others on the ground that they had to appear in other courts.

According to PTI legal team head Malik Khalid Shafiq, a large number of policemen had besieged the court compound and attempted to arrest the PTI parliamentary leader in the National Assembly, Zartaj Gul Wazir.

However, scores of lawyers thwarted her arrest bid by not allowing the policemen to reach her.

He said the police arrested 17 party activists from the court compound, but after he informed the court about the arrests, 16 of them were released on the court orders.

One of the activists, Ayaz Khan Tareen, was not released as police claimed that he was wanted in a case previously registered against him, Mr Shafique added.

He condemned the police for “baton-charging and torturing the peaceful PTI activists on the court premises”.

Meanwhile, Faisalabad police allegedly raided the house of a local PTI leader, Abdullah Khan Dummar, to arrest him, but he was not found there.

His family alleged that police picked up Dummar’s brother and a cousin during the raid.

Published in Dawn, November 21st, 2024