Islamabad, August 1 –
Pakistan’s Anti-Terrorism Courts (ATCs) have escalated the crackdown on senior members of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, issuing arrest warrants for 50 leaders, including former president Arif Alvi, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur, and Imran Khan’s sister Aleema Khan, in connection with protest-related cases.
The Islamabad ATC, led by Judge Abual Hasanat Mohammad Zulqarnain, passed the order citing repeated absences despite multiple summons. The charges stem from protests held on November 26, 2024, and are registered at Karachi Company Police Station, according to Dawn.
The updated list includes an additional 41 names, adding to nine already booked earlier. Among those newly named:
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Ali Amin Gandapur, KP Chief Minister
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Senators Shibli Faraz, Azam Khan Swati, Faisal Javed
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Former NA Speaker Asad Qaiser
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Prominent lawyers Salman Akram Raja and Shoaib Shaheen
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PTI leaders Murad Saeed, Hammad Azhar, Omar Ayub Khan, Raoof Hassan, and others
This comes days after another ATC in Rawalpindi issued similar warrants for Bushra Bibi, wife of PTI founder Imran Khan, and other senior leaders linked to the same protests.
Prison Sentences for PTI Leaders in Faisalabad ATC Ruling
In a parallel development, an Anti-Terrorism Court in Faisalabad handed down 10-year prison sentences to multiple PTI figures for their roles in the violent May 9, 2023 riots, triggered by the arrest of Imran Khan.
Convicted leaders include:
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Omar Ayub
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Shibli Faraz
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Zartaj Gul
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Sheikh Rashid Shafiq (nephew of Sheikh Rashid)
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SIC head Sahibzada Hamid Raza
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Rai Hassan Nawaz, Rai Murtaza Iqbal, Kanwal Shauzab, and more
These verdicts were related to cases filed at Ghulam Muhammadabad and Civil Lines police stations. In total:
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108 individuals were convicted
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77 were acquitted, including PTI leaders Fawad Chaudhry, Zain Qureshi, and Khayal Kastro
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Junaid Afzal Sahi, a PTI Member of Provincial Assembly, received a 3-year sentence
The May 9 unrest saw violent attacks on army properties, including the Corps Commander’s residence in Lahore. The military and federal government have since treated the incident as a direct assault on national institutions, fueling a broader crackdown on the PTI’s leadership and supporters.