Monitoring Desk
An anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Islamabad on Wednesday issued arrest warrants for Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) workers linked to the May 9 violence, after they failed to appear before the court during the hearing.
ATC Judge Tahir Abbas Sipra presided over the proceedings of cases involving PTI founder Imran Khan, Vice President Shah Mahmood Qureshi, and several other party workers. However, the hearing could not move forward due to the absence of Khan and Qureshi, prompting the judge to adjourn proceedings until May 9 and issue arrest warrants for the missing PTI workers.
The defense lawyer argued that the hearing could not be conducted without the presence of the detained PTI founder and requested an exemption for PTI workers who had traveled from remote areas.
Responding to the argument, Judge Sipra remarked that the Supreme Court had issued instructions regarding the May 9 cases just a day earlier, and that those directives were applicable to the current case as well. However, the defense contended that the SC guidelines were limited to Punjab-based cases.
The court then adjourned all pending matters related to the May 9 incidents until May 9.
It is pertinent to mention that cases against PTI workers are registered at the Shams Colony police station in connection with the May 9 vandalism, while additional cases—related to the March 23 protests—are registered at the Khanna police station.
