By Asif Naveed
RAWALPINDI: An anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Rawalpindi on Monday issued a non-bailable arrest warrant for Aleema Khan, the sister of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan, directing authorities to produce her before the court on October 22 in cases linked to the party’s November 26 protest last year.
ATC Judge Amjad Ali Shah issued the warrant for the third time after Aleema failed to appear before the court despite multiple summons.
Earlier, Aleema and nine other accused had been indicted in the Sadiqabad Police Station case concerning the November 26 protest, which was staged to pressure the government for Imran Khan’s release. The 71-year-old former prime minister has been imprisoned since August 2023 in various cases ranging from corruption to terrorism.
Besides Aleema, those indicted include Sajid Qureshi, Atif Riaz, Faheem Razaq, Adalat Khan Qureshi, Mursalin Kiani, Tayyab Abbas Shah, Umar Shah Muhammad Hanif, and Ali Raza.
During Monday’s proceedings, the remaining 10 accused appeared before the court, and five prosecution witnesses recorded their testimonies.
The ATC also issued a non-bailable arrest warrant for Aleema’s guarantor, Umer Sharif, and instructed the Rawalpindi deputy commissioner to verify the property documents submitted as surety.
The November 26, 2024, protest had turned violent, leading to intense clashes between law enforcement personnel and protesters, which resulted in the martyrdom of at least three Rangers and one policeman.
