Judge Tahir Abbas Sipra issues arrest warrants for absent accused
ISLAMABAD: The Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) in the federal capital declared Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Umer Tanveer Butt proclaimed offenders on Wednesday.
Separating the case against them from other accused, the court also initiated the process to declare PTI leader Aamer Mehmood Kiani a proclaimed offender.
ATC Judge Tahir Abbas Sipra adjourned the case until January 15 and issued arrest warrants for the accused who were absent from the hearing.
The case pertains to an FIR registered at the I-9 Police Station in 2022 over protests staged by PTI leaders against the Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) decision to disqualify party founder Imran Khan from holding public offices.
The ECP’s decision was linked to Khan’s conviction in the Toshakhana case, in which he was accused of misusing his premiership from 2018 to 2022 to buy and sell gifts worth over Rs140 million received during official visits abroad.
The commission’s verdict triggered nationwide protests by PTI workers, with chaotic scenes outside the ECP office where supporters gathered in large numbers, chanting slogans against the government.
Meanwhile, PTI leader Faisal Javed filed a petition seeking the removal of anti-terror provisions from the case.
This development adds to the KP chief minister’s legal troubles, although he received some respite last week when the ATC suspended his arrest warrants — issued in December — in a case registered at Hassan Abdal Police Station. The court also annulled proceedings to declare him a proclaimed offender at that time
