An anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Islamabad issued non-bailable arrest warrants on Saturday for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur and three other politicians related to terrorism charges stemming from vandalism at the Judicial Complex in Islamabad.
Several current and former leaders of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) were charged under terrorism laws at the I-9 police station in Islamabad. Alongside Gandapur, the court also issued warrants for former Punjab Assembly Deputy Speaker Wasiq Qayyum Abbasi, Istehkam-e-Pakistan leader Aamer Mehmood Kiani, and PTI leader Raja Rashid Hafeez.
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Additionally, ex-PTI leader Umer Tanveer Butt was declared an absconder due to his repeated absences from court proceedings. Meanwhile, the court granted PTI leader Faisal Javed an exemption from appearing at the hearing.
ATC Judge Tahir Abbas Sipra issued an arrest warrant for Ali Amin Gandapur while denying his bail petition, stating that relief cannot be granted without a valid reason. The defendant’s lawyer informed the judge that the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief minister could not attend court due to route closures.
The lawyer requested one more chance for Gandapur to appear, but the judge pointed out that he had previously set a hearing date of Gandapur’s choosing, which was ignored. The judge subsequently adjourned the case until October 3.
The arrest warrant comes just before PTI’s highly anticipated rally in Lahore, scheduled for today at 3pm, under strict conditions set by the district administration. Gandapur is leading a convoy of PTI supporters from DI Khan to join the Kahna rally.
PHC Halts Authorities from Arresting Gandapur
In a recent development, the Peshawar High Court (PHC) granted protective bail to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur, instructing authorities to refrain from arresting him in any province until October 5. This order was issued shortly after an arrest warrant was released by the Islamabad court.
The court noted that Gandapur expressed concerns about being arrested in the federal capital and Punjab due to multiple cases filed against him. He requested details regarding these cases, asserting that they were politically motivated and malicious.
The PHC emphasized that every citizen has the right to know about the charges against them before any arrest occurs. It further acknowledged Gandapur’s request for protective bail so he could appear in relevant courts, stating that as a public representative, he could not go into hiding.
Judicial complex riots
On March 18, 2023, PTI workers unexpectedly began throwing stones at authorities inside the Federal Judicial Complex during former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s court appearances related to several cases against him.
Accompanied by large crowds carrying wooden sticks and stones, Khan violated Section 144 by approaching from the opposite side of the road. The ensuing chaos left 52 police officers and personnel from supporting forces injured, while PTI workers damaged 12 Islamabad police vehicles.
Additionally, three vehicles belonging to the Punjab police and Frontier Corps (FC) were vandalized, and four federal police cars were set ablaze, completely destroying them. Following these events, a terrorism case was filed against PTI workers at the counter-terrorism department (CTD) police station for vandalism.
Islamabad police also filed an FIR against Imran Khan and other PTI leaders for their alleged roles in assaulting officers, burning vehicles, and damaging property.
