- Omar Ayub, Shibli, Gandapur, Arif Alvi, Salman Akram Raja, Asad Qaiser, Swati, Hammad Azhar, and Aleema Khan among wanted leadership
ISLAMABAD: The Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) Islamabad on Thursday issued arrest warrants for 50 leaders of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, including former President Dr Arif Alvi, Omar Ayub, Shibli Faraz, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa CM Ali Amin Gandapur and Aleema Khanum, pressuring the beleaguered party facing numerous challenges further.
According to the court proceedings, 41 warrants were freshly issued on Thursday in connection with FIR No. 1193 registered at the Karachi Company Police Station in Islamabad. Nine PTI leaders had already been issued arrest warrants earlier in the same case.
Among those named in the warrants are several high-profile figures, including former President of Pakistan Dr Arif Alvi, National Assembly Opposition Leader Omar Ayub, Senate Opposition Leader Shibli Faraz, current Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Ali Amin Gandapur, and Imran Khan’s sister, Aleema Khanum. Other notable names include Sheikh Waqas Akram, Kanwal Shauzab, Shandana Gulzar, Sher Afzal Marwat, Abdul Qayyum Niazi, Faisal Javed, Salman Akram Raja, Raoof Hassan, Murad Saeed, Ahmad Niazi, Asad Qaiser, Hammad Azhar, Atif Khan, Shoaib Shaheen, and Senator Azam Khan Swati.
The arrest warrants were issued by ATC Judge Abul Hasnat Zulqarnain. On the other hand, in the Faizpur protest case, ATC Islamabad Judge Tahir Abbas Supra also ordered the arrest of Chief Minister KP Ali Amin Gandapur.
Judge Tahir Abbas Supra also issued an arrest warrant for PTI MNA from Faisalabad, Ali Afzal Sahi, for his non-appearance in the March 18 protest case. A case has been registered against the PTI leader at the Golra police station.
On July 15, the Rawalpindi Special Anti-Terrorism Court rejected the interim bail applications of Omar Ayub in over 14 cases related to the riots on November 24 and 26. Due to repeated non-appearances by Ayub and his counsel, Dr. Babar Awan, the court revoked bail and ordered his immediate arrest.
Similarly, on July 19, a court in Islamabad issued arrest warrants for KP Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur in a separate case involving liquor and weapons recovery. Judicial Magistrate Mubashar Hassan also dismissed Gandapur’s request for exemption from appearing in court, ordering his arrest and production before the bench.
