FAISALABAD – An Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) in Faisalabad has issued a contempt notice to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Omar Ayub over a tweet criticizing the court.
According to court directives, the City Police Officer (CPO) has been ordered to arrest the former opposition leader in the National Assembly and present him before the court on August 18.
The Omar Ayub contempt notice follows the court’s rejection of his exemption request from personal appearance in hearings linked to the May 9 violence cases. The court also dismissed his interim bail applications in three high-profile cases involving attacks on Jinnah House, Askari Tower, and an arson incident at Shadman Police Station.
Omar Ayub’s legal troubles have intensified after the ATC recently sentenced several PTI leaders in separate May 9-related cases. In an earlier verdict, the Faisalabad ATC convicted 108 individuals, including Omar Ayub, Zartaj Gul, and Shibli Faraz, sentencing them to 10 years in prison. The cases were registered at the Ghulam Muhammadabad and Civil Lines police stations. Seventy-seven others were acquitted in the same proceedings.
Other notable convictions included PTI MPA Junaid Afzal Sahi, who received a three-year prison term, and Sheikh Rashid Shafiq, nephew of Sheikh Rashid, who was given a 10-year sentence. Several prominent PTI figures, including Fawad Chaudhry, Zain Qureshi, and Khayal Kastro, were acquitted.
The May 9 incidents, which erupted after the arrest of PTI founder Imran Khan, saw widespread unrest, damage to public and military property, and led to dozens of legal cases against party leaders and supporters across Pakistan. Courts in Lahore and Faisalabad have since delivered multiple verdicts, sentencing various PTI leaders to long prison terms while acquitting others due to lack of evidence.
The latest development adds another layer to the ongoing political and legal challenges faced by PTI’s top leadership.
Want the full scoop on Paul Walter Hauser’s MCU secret? Check it out on Paul Walter Hauser spills his secret MCU role
