On Friday, An Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) in Lahore issued non-bailable arrest warrants for 17 Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders, including former federal ministers Hammad Azhar, Shafqat Mahmood, Yasmin Rashid and others for allegedly damaging state property during the party’s 25 May Islamabad long march.
The other PTI leaders whose arrest warrants have been issued include former provincial minister Murad Raas, Mehmoodur Rasheed, Mian Aslam Iqbal, Jamsheed Chemma, Zubair Niazi, Aijaz Chaudhry, and others.
The warrants were issued over Shahdra and Gulberg police’s request.
ATC Judge Abhar Gul Khan issued the arrest warrants for the PTI leaders after police approached the court and sought permission to arrest PTI activists.
The Shahdara police have obtained the arrest warrants for Hammad Azhar, Yasir Gillani, Nadeem Bara, Adeel Nawaz, Shafqat Mahmood, and Mian Mehmood-ur-Rasheed.
The Shahdara police have also obtained the arrest warrants for Ejaz Chaudhry, Ikram Usman, Hassan Niazi, Zubair Niazi, Jamshed Iqbal Cheema, and Musarrat Jamshed Cheema.
Similarly, the Gulberg police have obtained the arrest warrants for Dr Yasmin Rashid, Hammad Azhar, Andleeb Abbas, Ejaz Chaudhry, Yasir Gillani, Mian Aslam Iqbal, Murad Raas, Mian Shafqat Mahmood, Mian Mehmood-ur-Rasheed, Mian Ikram Usman and others.
It is to be noted that several PTI leaders including former prime minister Imran Khan, Asad Umar, Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Fawad Chaudhry and others have been booked by police in various FIRs related to Azadi March