ISLAMABAD: An anti-terrorism court on Tuesday declared four accused, including fashion designer Khadija Shah, as proclaimed offenders in connection with the May 9 attack on Askari Tower, issuing permanent non-bailable arrest warrants for their failure to appear before the court.
Administrative Judge Manzar Ali Gul passed the order after the accused repeatedly failed to attend trial proceedings despite the issuance of arrest warrants. The court declared Khadija Shah, Hamza Sohail, Usman Aslam and Ahmed Mursaleen absconders and directed law enforcement authorities to take action in accordance with the law.
During the hearing, the prosecution informed the court that the accused had deliberately avoided appearing before the trial court. The public prosecutor stated that Khadija Shah had gone into hiding following her conviction in another May 9-related case, while the remaining accused were also evading arrest to avoid legal consequences.
The court noted that the accused failed to join the proceedings despite repeated opportunities and concluded that they were intentionally absconding. Consequently, the court ordered that their names be placed on the list of proclaimed offenders.
Khadija Shah was earlier released on bail on December 28, 2023, by a local court in Quetta. She had been arrested in multiple cases linked to the May 9 violence, including attacks on Jinnah House, Askari Tower and the torching of police vehicles.
The Federal Investigation Agency had also taken her into custody in a cybercrime case for allegedly posting social media content aimed at inciting unrest against state institutions during the May 9 riots.
Earlier this week, an anti-terrorism court also declared Khadija Shah and five other accused proclaimed offenders in the Jinnah House attack case after they failed to attend court proceedings.
In a separate case, an anti-terrorism court sentenced Khadija Shah to five years’ imprisonment for torching a Supreme Court judge’s squad vehicle near Jinnah House during the May 9 unrest. The violence erupted across the country following the arrest of PTI founder Imran Khan from the Islamabad High Court premises.
