ISLAMABAD – An anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Islamabad has issued bailable arrest warrants for key Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders, including Omar Ayub, Zartaj Gul, and central information secretary Sheikh Waqas Akram, in a case stemming from the Sangjani rally held in September last year. The move marks a renewed legal escalation against the leadership of the party founded by former Prime Minister Imran Khan.
The case dates back to September 8, 2024, when clashes erupted between PTI supporters and the Islamabad police during a rally on the outskirts of the capital. The demonstration was staged to demand the “immediate release” of the jailed former premier and to protest the alleged marginalisation of the party by the government. In the aftermath of the rally, at least 10 PTI Members of the National Assembly (MNAs) were arrested on September 9 and 10 from various parts of Islamabad, including the Parliament House.
Presiding over Monday’s hearing, ATC Judge Tahir Abbas Sipra rejected an application from Ayub seeking an exemption from appearing. “None of them have appeared before the court even once,” Judge Sipra observed, noting the repeated failure of the accused to attend proceedings.
The court subsequently ordered the arrest of the three PTI leaders and directed that they be produced before the bench. The hearing was then adjourned until October 20.
Reacting to the development, Sheikh Waqas Akram shared screenshots of media coverage on X, the social media platform, with the brief, pointed caption: “warrant factories,” underscoring the party’s perception of ongoing legal hurdles.
Ayub was one of the prominent figures who addressed the Sangjani rally, alongside Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur, PTI Chairman Gohar Ali Khan, and others.
The Sangjani incident quickly escalated into a high-stakes political drama. In September last year, the PTI had reported that nearly a dozen of its lawmakers, including Akram, had been taken into custody. Gul and Ayub were also sought by the police, and some leaders, fearing imminent arrest, had sought refuge inside the Parliament House.
The situation peaked late on September 9, 2024, when law enforcement agencies arrested at least three key members, including Sher Afzal Marwat, from various Islamabad locations. A more unprecedented action followed just after 3 am the next day, when plainclothesmen reportedly stormed the Parliament House—disconnecting the power supply and barging into the building’s Services Branch—to detain more PTI legislators.
Other lawmakers taken into custody over their alleged role in violence at the Sangjani rally included Malik Amir Dogar, Ahmed Chattha, and Zain Qureshi.
The raid on the Parliament House led to a fierce “war of words” in the National Assembly and the subsequent suspension of five of its security officials. While the Islamabad High Court later struck down the eight-day physical remand of the PTI MNAs on September 13, 2024, granting them bail, the current issuance of arrest warrants reignites the legal battle and highlights the persistent political pressure facing the PTI leadership in Pakistan
