The Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) has issued non-bailable arrest warrants for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur and several top leaders of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) in connection with the General Headquarters (GHQ) attack case, ARY News reported.
The 25 individuals named in the case include prominent PTI leaders such as Ali Amin Gandapur, Shehryar Afridi, Zain Qureshi, Shibli Faraz, Tahir Sadiq, Malik Taimoor Masood, and Kanwal Shauzab. ATC Rawalpindi Judge Amjad Ali Shah signed the warrants, instructing the Rawalpindi Police (CPO) to arrest the accused and present them in court by December 10. The decision reflects efforts to hold those allegedly involved in the GHQ attack accountable.
On December 5, Judge Amjad Ali Shah also indicted PTI founder Imran Khan and 60 other PTI leaders in the same case, ARY News reported. Following this, police arrested four PTI leaders, including Omar Ayub, Raja Basharat, and Malik Ahmad Chatta. Meanwhile, 23 others, including Zulfi Bukhari, Murad Saeed, and Shehbaz Gill, have been declared proclaimed offenders.
The case stems from the events of May 9 last year, when Imran Khan, who served as Pakistan’s Prime Minister from 2018 to 2022, was arrested at the Islamabad High Court while attending a hearing in a corruption case. He was accused of receiving illegal gifts and assets from foreign nations.
Khan’s arrest triggered nationwide protests, with his supporters and party workers taking to the streets to demand his release. PTI protesters attacked and vandalized various civil and military installations, including Jinnah House in Lahore, the Mianwali airbase, and the GHQ in Rawalpindi. They also set vehicles on fire, blocked roads, and clashed with police and security personnel.
Over 5,000 people were arrested and charged under the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) and other laws for their roles in the riots. The federal government accused Imran Khan of masterminding these attacks, claiming to have evidence of his involvement, ARY News reported.