Court orders blocking of PTI leaders Omar Ayub, Zartaj Gul passports

ISLAMABAD: An Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) on Tuesday ordered the blocking of passports of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) leaders Omar Ayub and Zartaj Gul in connection with the Sangjani protest case, while also issuing a bailable arrest warrant for former minister Sheikh Waqas Akram over his continued absence from proceedings.

The case was heard by ATC Judge Tahir Abbas Sapra, who directed that the relevant authorities block the passports of the two PTI leaders and submit a compliance report to the court. The judge also instructed the police to ensure the implementation of the arrest warrant issued for Waqas Akram.

The case pertains to protests held by PTI activists in the Sangjani area following the events of May 2023. The court later adjourned further proceedings until December 3.

In a related development, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Tuesday reserved its verdict on the admissibility of a petition seeking to bar Sessions Judge Nasir Javed Rana from performing his judicial duties.

The petition, filed by Osama Riaz, was heard by Chief Justice Sarfraz Dogar, who questioned the petitioner’s timing in raising a matter linked to a Supreme Court observation made in 2004.

“Where were you for twenty-two years?” the chief justice asked, noting that the issue appeared to have been revived only after being highlighted in the media in October 2025.

The petitioner’s counsel, Riaz Hanif Rahi, argued that the matter gained relevance after recent media reports revealed that the judge was still serving despite the earlier observation. He said the challenge was based on documentary records and maintained that the court’s earlier comments carried judicial weight.

After hearing the arguments, the IHC reserved its decision on whether the petition was admissible for further proceedings.