An anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Islamabad on Monday issued non-bailable arrest warrants for top leaders of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), including jailed former prime minister Imran Khan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur.
The arrest warrants for Gandapur have been issued in a case registered with the Kohsar Police Station in Islamabad.
Former first lady Bushra Bibi, former federal minister Omar Ayub Khan, Sher Afzal Marwat and Salman Akram Raja are among the 96 PTI leaders and workers who the ATC has issued the arrest warrants for.
Former president of Pakistan Dr Arif Alvi, Senator Shibli Faraz, Sheheryar Khan Afridi, Murad Saeed, Raja Basharat, Asad Qaiser and Iman Tahir Sadiq are also on the list of the PTI leaders whose arrest warrants were issued on Monday.
Imran Khan gave the “final call” for nationwide protests on Nov 24, demanding restoration of PTI’s electoral mandate, release of the detained party leaders and workers and reversal of the 26th Constitutional Amendment, which he said has strengthened a “dictatorial regime”.
In the early hours of Nov 27, a day of pitched battles between security forces and PTI protesters across the federal capital ended in a hasty retreat of the party’s top leadership and supporters from the Red Zone at midnight on Nov 26.
At least six people were killed in the three days of protests, which included a policeman and three Rangers officials who were knocked down by a speeding vehicle.
The PTI initially claimed that hundreds of party workers were killed during clashes with security forces in the federal capital Islamabad on the night of November 26, but it retracted its claim later and said that 12 people lost their lives at the protest.
Reporter: Ehtisham Kiyani