RAWALPINDI: The Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) on Thursday suspended the non-bailable arrest warrants issued against Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur in relation to a case filed in Hassan Abdal.
The decision followed a petition submitted by Gandapur’s legal representative, Muhammad Faisal Malik. The case involves accusations of arson and vandalism. Malik argued that the Peshawar High Court (PHC) had already granted bail to his client in all related matters.
The court accepted the petition, leading to the suspension of the arrest warrants and the cancellation of proceedings aimed at declaring Gandapur a proclaimed offender.
In a separate development in December, an ATC in Rawalpindi indicted 14 PTI leaders, including Gandapur and Vice Chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi, in connection with the alleged attack on the General Headquarters (GHQ) on May 9, 2023. The hearing took place inside Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail, where PTI founder Imran Khan is currently detained.
A case was registered against the PTI leaders and supporters under terrorism charges following acts of vandalism allegedly committed by PTI workers after Imran Khan’s arrest at the Islamabad High Court (IHC) in a corruption case last year. The indictment includes high-profile PTI members such as Shibli Faraz, Shehryar Afridi, Kanwal Shauzab, and others. All of the accused have pleaded not guilty.
During the hearing, the court canceled the arrest warrants for Gandapur after his appearance. As of now, 113 individuals, including prominent PTI figures such as Imran Khan, Omar Ayub, and Shibli Faraz, have been indicted in the case.
The court also heard a petition from Imran Khan’s legal team, which argued that there was insufficient evidence to proceed with the indictment. Further proceedings on this matter are expected today. Additionally, Ali Amin Gandapur has appointed Ghulam Hasnain Sanbal as his representative for 12 related cases.
In the case related to the GHQ attack, 21 of the accused individuals filed various applications, including requests for permission to perform Umrah. Among those seeking permission were Muhammad Javed, Muhammad Ahmed Chattha, Rai Hassan Nawaz, and Umar Naveed Satti.
