The Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) Lahore has issued non-bailable arrest warrants for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur and three other senior Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders in connection with the October 5 protest and violence against police in Lahore. ATC Administrative Judge Manzar Ali Gul issued the warrants for CM Gandapur, as well as PTI leaders Hammad Azhar, Saeed Sandhu, and Shehbaz Ahmad, on Tuesday. 

The channel reported that the arrest warrants were issued upon the request of police, who informed the court that the accused had repeatedly failed to join the investigation despite multiple summonses. Police maintained that PTI-backed KP's CM Ali Amin Gandapur and others are deliberately avoiding the investigation process. The court was told that the PTI leaders are wanted in multiple cases registered at Lari Adda and Musti Gate police stations in relation to the October 5 protest and ensuing violence.

The leaders have already been nominated in the First Information Reports (FIRs) for their alleged roles in the incidents. It is pertinent to mention that earlier this year, on January 2, the ATC Rawalpindi had cancelled arrest warrants and voided the absconder declaration proceedings against Gandapur in a separate case related to Hassan Abdal. During that hearing, Gandapur’s legal team submitted a protective bail order issued by the Peshawar High Court, which covered 32 different cases involving the KP chief minister.

Government prosecutor Zaheer Shah represented the state during the proceedings. Previously, Gandapur had been declared an absconder by the Rawalpindi ATC in the Hassan Abdal case. Separately, on December 17, 2024, a District and Sessions Court in Islamabad upheld non-bailable arrest warrants against Gandapur in an audio leak case.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP)