ISLAMABAD:
An anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Rawalpindi on Thursday formally charged 14 additional Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders, including Vice Chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur, in a case related to the alleged attack on the General Headquarters (GHQ) on May 9, 2023.
The hearing, presided over by Judge Syed Amjad Ali Shah, took place inside the Adiala Jail, where PTI founder and former Prime Minister Imran Khan is currently being held.
The case, filed under terrorism charges, stemmed from the violent incidents and vandalism that allegedly followed Imran Khan’s arrest at the Islamabad High Court (IHC) last year in connection with a corruption case. Authorities had registered the case at the RA Bazaar Police Station.
During the proceedings, the ATC indicted 14 PTI members, including Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Ali Amin Gandapur, Shibli Faraz, Shehryar Afridi, Kanwal Shauzab, Shabbir Awan, Latasab Satti, Umar Tanveer Butt, Taimur Masood, Saad Ali Khan, Sikandar Zaib, Zohaib Afridi, Fahad Masood, and Raja Nasser Mahfuz. All the accused denied the charges.
Chief Minister Gandapur’s arrest warrants were canceled following his court appearance. To date, a total of 113 individuals, including Imran Khan, Omar Ayub, and Shibli Faraz, have been charged in the case.
Key Developments During the Hearing
The court also reviewed a petition filed by Imran Khan that challenged the indictment due to insufficient evidence. Further arguments on this petition are scheduled for today (Friday). Gandapur appointed Ghulam Hasnain Sanbal Advocate to represent him in 12 related cases.
Additionally, 21 accused individuals submitted miscellaneous applications, with four—Muhammad Javed, Muhammad Ahmed Chattha, Rai Hassan Nawaz, and Umar Naveed Satti—requesting permission to perform Umrah. Separate petitions were also filed by Imran Khan and Fawad Chaudhry to obtain CCTV footage from their indictment day.
Under Section 265-D of the Criminal Procedure Code, 15 accused individuals, including Qureshi, Gandapur, Kanwal Shauzab, Fawad Chaudhry, Shehryar Afridi, and others, contested the charges on the grounds of insufficient evidence.
The prosecution, led by Special Prosecutor Zaheer Shah, presented arguments against these petitions, while defense lawyers Faisal Chaudhry and Faisal Malik argued on behalf of the accused. The court will continue hearing these applications in the next session.
