RAWALPINDI/LAHORE: An anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Rawalpindi on Thursday indicted Khyber Pakhtun­khwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur, PTI leaders Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Kanwal Shozab, Shibli Faraz and others in a case related to the attack on the General Headquarters following the arrest of former prime minister Imran Khan on May 9, 2023.

During the hearing, ATC Judge Amjad Ali Shah indicted 18 individuals, bringing the total number of accused to 113. However, six suspects are still awaiting the arraignment.

On Thursday, Imran Khan was presented in court alongside several senior party leaders and political figures, including Fawad Chaudhry, Sheikh Rashid, Usman Dar, Sheikh Rashid Shafiq, Musarrat Jamshed Cheema, and Sadaqat Abbasi.

On Dec 16, nine individuals, including former human rights minister Shireen Mazari, were indicted in this case, whereas Imran Khan was indicted on Dec 5. The PTI founder, who has been incarcerated in Adiala Jail since August 2023, was arrested by the Rawalpindi police in the May 9 protest case in January this year. He, however, filed an application seeking acquittal. ATC Judge Shah heard partial arguments and adjourned further proceedings till Friday (today).

Meanwhile, ATC Judge in Islamabad Abul Hasanat Mohammad Zulqarnain extended the interim bail of PTI leader Shoaib Shaheen in seven cases related to the PTI protest at D-Chowk last month.

During the hearing of the pre-arrest bail application on Thursday, Mr Shaheen appeared before the court alongside his legal team. However, the police failed to present the required case records during the proceedings. In light of the incomplete documentation, the court extended Shoaib Shaheen’s interim bail and scheduled the next hearing for January 15, 2025.

In a related development, an Additional District and Sessions Court presided over by Judge Muhammad Afzal Majuka issued notices regarding the post-arrest bail applications of 20 PTI workers detained in connection with a case registered at the Tarnol police station.

During the hearing, the petitioners’ legal team presented preliminary arguments in support of the bail applications. The court directed the police to submit their response to the bail applications and adjourned the proceedings till December 21.

Eight declared POs

An ATC in Lahore, meanwhile, declared eight PTI workers as proclaimed offenders (POs) in the case regarding the torching of police vehicles near the corps commander’s house (Jinnah House) during the May 9 riots.

ATC-I Judge Manzer Ali Gill issued perpetual arrest warrants for the absconding suspects, including Tabeeb Majeed, Inamul Haq, Muhammad Ahmed, Abdullah Wasim, Hamza Ali, Ameer Gul, Rana Talal, and Farhan Uzair.

The judge passed the order allowing an application of the investigating officer of the FIR registered at Sarwar Road police station. The IO said that despite public notices, the suspects failed to appear before the court and requested the court to declare them absconders. The judge allowed the request and issued perpetual arrest warrants.

Separately, Judge Gill’s court recorded statements of two prosecution witnesses in a May 9 case pertaining to the torching of police vehicles in Mughalpura. The judge conducted the trial at Kot Lakhpat Jail in three cases, including attacks on Jinnah House and Shadman police station allegedly by the PTI leaders and workers.

The judge adjourned the hearing till Jan 13 in the Mughalpura and Jinnah House cases, whereas the hearing regarding the Shadman police station was adjourned till Jan 23. The attendance of incarcerated suspects, including Shah Mahmood Qureshi and Dr Yasmin Rashid, Senator Ejaz Chaudhry, Omar Sarfraz Cheema, and Mian Mehmoodur Rasheed, was marked in jail while the suspects on bail, including former PTI MNAs Alia Hamza Malik and Rubina Jamil, social media activist Sanam Javed, and fashion designer Khadija Shah, appeared before the court.

Published in Dawn, December 20th, 2024