An anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Rawalpindi has rejected the acquittal pleas of several prominent Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders, including Imran Khan and Shah Mahmood Qureshi, in connection with the May 9, 2023, GHQ attack case.
Along with Khan and Qureshi, the court also dismissed the acquittal requests of PTI members Shibli Faraz, Shahryar Afridi, Kanwal Shauzab, Umar Tanvir Butt, and former federal minister Fawad Chaudhry.
Special Public Prosecutor Zaheer Shah opposed the acquittal petitions, while the PTI leaders were represented by lawyers Faisal Chaudhry and Faisal Malik. The court ruled the pleas “infructuous,” citing that the accused had already been formally indicted.
The court also turned down the request from four accused to travel abroad, citing incomplete documentation.
Earlier, ATC Judge Amjad Ali Shah indicted Qureshi, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur, and 12 others, bringing the total number of indicted suspects to 113. Six other accused individuals have been summoned for trial on Saturday.
The GHQ attack case arose from violent riots across Pakistan following the arrest of Imran Khan in a corruption case. These protests involved attacks on military installations and public properties, resulting in multiple cases against PTI leaders and members, many of whom face trials under the Army Act.
