ATC issues arrest warrants for 65 PTI leaders, including Alvi, Gandapur     

ISLAMABAD: An anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Rawalpindi on Thursday issued non-bailable arrest warrants for 65 Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders and workers in connection with the party’s November 26 protest, citing their repeated absence and alleged evasion of arrest.

According to police, the warrants were issued in three separate FIRs registered in Sadiqabad, Wah Cantt and Naseerabad police stations. These include 28 accused in the Sadiqabad case, 18 in the Wah Cantt case, and 19 in the Naseerabad case.

Prominent figures among the accused are former president Dr Arif Alvi, opposition leader in the National Assembly Omar Ayub, senior PTI leaders Ali Amin Gandapur, Aliya Hamza Malik, Hammad Azhar, Zubair Niazi, Kanwal Shauzab, Ejaz Khan Jazi, and former senator Waqar Akram. Police say all are currently in hiding.

The court has ordered that the suspects be arrested and produced before it. Law enforcement teams have reportedly been constituted and raids are being carried out in various locations to ensure arrests.

ATC cancels warrants for Raoof Hasan, Junaid Akbar

Meanwhile, in a separate development, Islamabad’s ATC cancelled the arrest warrants for PTI leaders Raoof Hasan and Junaid Akbar after they appeared before the court on Monday along with their counsel, Ayesha Khalid. Both had filed pre-arrest bail applications, which were accepted on an interim basis. The court has summoned arguments on September 18.

Shehbaz says practical strategy followed to root out terrorism

Earlier in the day, the same court also handed 10-year prison sentences to several other PTI leaders, including Omar Ayub, Shibli Faraz, and Zartaj Gul. Among those sentenced is also Member of Punjab Assembly (MPA) Junaid Afzal Sahi, who received a prison term of three years.

The court also sentenced MNA Sahibzada Hamid Raza and Sheikh Rashid Shafiq to 10 years in prison.

The court acquitted multiple political figures, including former information minister Fawad Chaudhry, Zain Qureshi, and Khayal Ahmad Kastro.