A special anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Faislabad sentenced on Thursday top Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders to up to 10 years in prison in cases pertaining to May 9 protests.
Opposition leader in National Assembly Omar Ayub, opposition leader in Senate Shibli Faraz, Zartaj Gul, MNA Sahibzada Hamid Raza and former MNA Sheikh Rashid Shafiq were among the 108 PTI leaders convicted out of the 185 implicated in the cases while 77 others were acquitted.
Around 60 of those convicted, including Faraz, Ayub, Gul and Raza were sentenced to 10 years in prison each while other convicts were each handed prison terms of three years.
Meanwhile, Fawad Chaudhry was acquitted along with Zain Qureshi, Khayal Kastro, Faizullah Kamoka, Rana Asad Mehmood Khan, Bilal Ashraf Basra, Haroon Rasheed, Amara Rasheed, Sahibzada Hassan Raza, and Kamran Warraich.
Shafiq was absent from court during the hearing and did not appear. He has reportedly gone into hiding to avoid arrest.
Warrants issued
Earlier today, ATC issued arrest warrants for 50 PTI leaders in connection with various protest-related cases registered at multiple police stations in the federal capital ahead of PTI’s August 5 protest. The warrants were issued by Judge Abul Hasnat Zulqarnain.
PTI Secretary General Salman Akram Raja called for a nationwide protest on August 5 last week, urging the public to support what he termed a “historic movement” for national sovereignty rather than mere political survival.
Raja condemned what he described as unconstitutional actions against PTI lawmakers and a broader crackdown on dissent. He specifically criticised the Punjab Assembly’s decision to send references against 26 PTI members to the Election Commission of Pakistan, calling the move unlawful and politically motivated, and asserted that PTI members would continue to raise their voices against this step.
The warrants for 41 PTI leaders were issued on Thursday, while arrest warrants for nine others had been issued earlier. The warrants were issued in a case number registered at Karachi Company Police Station.
Prominent names among those facing arrest include former President Arif Alvi, Abdul Qayyum Niazi, Shibli Faraz, Faisal Javed, Salman Akram Raja, Rauf Hassan, Murad Saeed, and Ahmad Niazi.
Arrest warrants have also been issued for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur, Asad Qaiser, Hammad Azhar, Atif Khan, Shoaib Shaheen, Azam Khan Swati, Omar Ayub, and Sahibzada Hamid Raza.
Other PTI members named in the warrants include Aleema Khanum, Sheikh Waqas Akram, Kanwal Shauzab, Shandana Gulzar, and Sher Afzal Marwat.
Faizabad protest case
In the Faizabad protest case, which pertains to demonstrations held over former prime minister Imran Khan’s disqualification, the court maintained that the status of CM Ali Amin Gandapur as a proclaimed offender remains unchanged.
The court ordered Islamabad Police to arrest Gandapur, stating that the arrest warrants remain in effect. The court further directed that if any order exists from the Peshawar High Court, it must be complied with.
PTI leader Faisal Javed Khan and others appeared before the court. Upon a request from lawyers, the hearing was adjourned until August 6. The case against Ali Amin Gandapur and others is registered at Industrial Area Police Station.
March 18 protest
In a separate case pertaining to PTI leaders’ protest on March 18, the ATC issued arrest warrants for PTI MNA from Faisalabad, Ali Afzal Sahi. Judge Tahir Abbas Supra, who also presided over this case, noted that “Ali Afzal Sahi has not appeared before this court to date”. Arrest warrants were also issued for other absent PTI workers.
Hearing for the case registered at Golra Police Station was adjourned till August 9.
November 26 protest
Meanwhile, in the case registered at Secretariat Police Station related to the November 26 protest, the court dismissed the bail of an accused who repeatedly remained absent. Arrest warrants were issued for those not present at the hearing. A forensic report related to the case was submitted, and the next hearing was set for August 5.
The hearing of the November 26 case registered at Kohsar Police Station was also adjourned until August 4. Arrest warrants were issued for accused individuals who failed to appear.
Non-bailable arrest warrants have been issued for 15 PTI leaders, including Arif Alvi, Sheikh Waqas Akram, Kanwal Shauzab, Zubair Niazi, and Asad Qaiser, in connection with ten cases registered in Rawalpindi related to the November 26 protest, government prosecutors said Thursday.
Addressing a press conference outside an ATC in Rawalpindi, prosecutor Syed Zaheer Shah, flanked by district prosecutor Chaudhry Muhammad, stated that bail cancellation requests for 68 accused individuals have also been filed, along with separate applications against their guarantors.
Zaheer Shah said that delaying tactics by the accused will no longer be tolerated. In the case registered at Sadiqabad Police Station, nine out of 111 nominated individuals have already been convicted.
A total of 31 cases related to the November 26 protest have been registered in the Rawalpindi Division — including 20 in Attock, 10 in Rawalpindi, and one in Chakwal. Thirteen accused are currently on interim bail.
According to the prosecutor, the accused appear in court once and submit outdated medical reports to request adjournments. He said that investigations in all 31 cases have been completed, and after the issuance of non-bailable warrants, the accused typically secure protective bail from high courts.
Cop’s killing in Taxilla
In a case involving the killing of a police officer in Taxila, Imran and Bushra Bibi are among the nominated accused.
ATC has further issued non-bailable arrest warrants in the Wah Cantt and Naseerabad cases for Arif Alvi, Ali Amin Gandapur, Omar Ayub, Asad Qaiser, Hammad Azhar, and 20 others.
