ISLAMABAD : A special anti-terrorism court (ATC) has issued non-bailable arrest warrants for several senior leaders of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), including former President Dr Arif Alvi and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur, in connection with three separate protest-related cases.
The cases were registered at Sadiqabad, Wah Cantt, and Naseerabad police stations following the PTI-led protest in November last year, which turned violent and resulted in multiple charges including vandalism, rioting, interference in government affairs, and assault on police personnel.
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Other prominent leaders named in the warrants include:
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Omar Ayub (Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly)
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Shahid Khattak
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Khalid Khurshid
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Faisal Amin
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Wahab Alvi
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Shehryar Riaz
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Asad Qaiser
The development follows a petition filed by Prosecutor Syed Zaheer Shah, who urged the court to expedite legal proceedings and order the immediate arrest of the accused. The court accepted the plea and fixed the next hearing for July 25, directing police to take the accused into custody.
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Judicial staff have issued formal notices to all accused and their legal counsels. Law enforcement authorities have also constituted special police teams tasked with executing the arrest warrants and initiating raids to apprehend the PTI leaders.
This legal action marks a significant escalation in the state’s response to the November protest, which officials claim disrupted public order and challenged the writ of the state.
