By Asif Naveed
ISLAMABAD; An Islamabad anti-terrorism court on Monday issued bailable arrest warrants for Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders Omar Ayub, Zartaj Gul and party’s central information secretary Sheikh Waqas Akram in connection with the Sangjani rally case of September 2024.
On September 8, 2024, clashes broke out between PTI supporters and Islamabad police on the city’s outskirts, as protesters called for the immediate release of former prime minister Imran Khan and denounced the government’s actions against the party.
Following the rally, at least 10 PTI MNAs were arrested from different parts of Islamabad, including Parliament House, between September 9 and 10.
During Monday’s proceedings, ATC Judge Tahir Abbas Sipra presided over the hearing. PTI lawyers Sardar Masroof Khan, Amna Ali and Murtaza Toori represented the party leaders.
The court rejected Omar Ayub’s request for exemption from appearance, with the judge noting that none of the three leaders had appeared before the court even once. Consequently, the judge issued bailable arrest warrants and ordered their production before the court. The hearing was adjourned until October 20.
Omar Ayub, along with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur, PTI Chairman Gohar Ali Khan, Hammad Azhar, and Ali Muhammad Khan, had addressed the Sangjani rally.
In the aftermath of the rally, law enforcement agencies carried out late-night operations. Around 3 a.m. on September 10, plainclothes personnel raided Parliament House, cutting the power supply and entering the Services Branch to arrest PTI legislators who had taken refuge inside to avoid detention.
Among those arrested were Sher Afzal Marwat, Malik Amir Dogar, Ahmed Chattha, Zain Qureshi, Zubair Khan Wazir, Awais Haider Jakhar, Syed Shah Ahad Ali Shah, Nasim Ali Shah and Yousuf Khan Khattak.
The raid triggered a heated exchange in the National Assembly and resulted in the suspension of five security officials. Later, on September 13, the Islamabad High Court struck down the eight-day physical remand of the detained MNAs and granted them bail.
