Pakistan's PTI leaders issued arrest warrants over 'terrorism charges' from court

Anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Pakistan’s Lahore on Friday, June 10, issued non-bailable arrest warrants against the leaders of the former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan’s party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) for vandalism and damage to public property. Members were accused of destruction of the civilian and the government infrastructure as they staged protests last month following the ouster of Khan. 

PTI members reach anti-terrorism court for bail 

The arrest warrant was issued against several key PTI members including Dr Yasmin Rashid, Jamshed Iqbal Cheema, Zubair Niazi, Andleeb Abbas, Hammad Azhar, Yasir Gillani, Nadeem Bara, and Mian Aslam Iqbal, all of whom reached the anti-terrorism court for bail to avoid arrest by police, according to Pakistan news outlets. They were also accused of attacking the law enforcement officers deployed to ensure that the law and order upheld at the time of politicial turmoil and heightened tensions.

Many of those who have the arrest warrants in their names were granted interim bail until June 17 against the surety bonds Rs100,000, each. The court issued the warrants of arrest as per the direction of Shahdara Police Station that accused the PTI members of inciting violence and launching attacks on police officers during the protests last month. Gulberg and Shahdara police stations in Lahore both issued non-bailable arrest warrants for the PTI leaders on charges "of terrorism and damage to state property" during the long march on May 25. 

Khan’s party PTI, however, has filed a petition against Islamabad’s federal government in the Supreme Court. It has argued that various ‘illegal’ tactics were been adopted by the sitting government to quash and suppress peaceful protests and differing voices. PTI’s Secretary-General Asad Umar has said in the filing that that the government of Pakistan was trying to use the corrupt and false methods to curb protests of PTI’s leadership, workers, and the people of Pakistan. It went to addd that they raided homes of party workers, an act questionable nd iamed at stifling voices and intimidation.

PTI urged the federal and Punjab governments to not block roads and force the detention of the PTI workers and leaders “who want to peacefully hold any protest.”