- ATC also issues arrest warrants for 45 absconding accused, warning they would be declared fugitives if fail to appear
RAWALPINDI: The Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) in Rawalpindi on Thursday indicted former prime minister Imran Khan among over 100 other PTI leaders in the attack on the General Headquarters (GHQ) case of May 9, riots.
Protests erupted across the country following the arrest of former prime minister Imran Khan from the Islamabad High Court on May 9, 2023. Various properties, including sensitive military installations were vandalised by protestors like the General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi, PAF air base in Mianwali and Corps Commander House (Jinnah House).
ATC Judge Amjad Ali Shah presided over the hearing of the GHQ attack case at a makeshift court setup in Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail.
Over 100 individuals, including Sheikh Rashid, Omar Ayub, Sheikh Rashid Shafiq, Raja Basharat, Zartaj Gul were also indicted in the case.
Following the court’s decision, opposition leader in the National Assembly Omar Ayub, was arrested, while former Punjab law minister Raja Basharat was taken into custody from outside the jail.
Subsequently, the court adjourned the case until December 10.
Earlier, several PTI leaders, including Omar Ayub, Zartaj Gul, Shekh Rashid, Rashid Shafiq, Sadaqat Abbasi, Waseem Qayyum Abbasi, Javed Kausar, Sajid Qureshi, Musarrat Jamshed Cheema, Mohammad Ahmed Chatha, and Usman Dar, had arrived at Adiala Jail for the hearing.
The court had summoned all accused in the GHQ attack case, with charges expected to be formally brought against 120 individuals, including PTI’s founder Imran Khan.
In addition, the court had ordered the appearance of former Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi from Lahore Jail. The court also instructed that arrests be made for several PTI leaders, including Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur, Shibli Faraz, Shireen Mazari, Zartaj Gul, Zain Qureshi, and Tayyaba Raja.
Furthermore, arrest warrants were issued for 45 absconding accused, with the court warning that legal proceedings would begin to declare them fugitives if they fail to appear.
Earlier this year, Imran Khan was arrested in the GHQ attack case, soon after his release warrant was issued in the cypher case.
The GHQ attack case report outlines 27 severe charges against Imran Khan and other accused individuals.
The report alleges that, under the leadership of former Provincial Law Minister Raja Basharat, the accused stormed the GHQ gate, causing significant property damage despite being warned by military personnel to stop.
The accused are also alleged to have broken into sensitive areas of GHQ, set fires, threw petrol bombs, and created chaos within the premises.
According to the report, chants such as “No Pakistan without Khan” and “Behind this terrorism is the uniform” were allegedly raised, targeting military personnel and attacking the reputation of Pakistan’s armed forces.
The investigation report states that attacks were also made on sensitive ISI and GHQ offices, characterizing the protest as a criminal conspiracy.
