Pakistan court issues non-bailable arrest warrant against PTI leaders

Lahore, April 22 (IANS) A Lahore Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) on Tuesday issued a non-bailable arrest warrant against Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur - a senior leader of Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party - in alleged violence against police during a protest held by the party in October last year.

Additionally, arrest warrants were issued for three other PTI leaders — Hammad Azhar, Saeed Sindhu, and Shehbaz Ahmed. The court issued the warrants at the request of Lahore police, which alleged that the leaders ignored repeated police summons and failed to cooperate with the investigation, The Express Tribune reported.

On October 5, 2024, the PTI staged a large protest in Islamabad against the federal government, accusing it of political victimisation, interference in provincial matters, and denying the party its democratic rights.

The demonstration led by senior party figures, including Khyber Pakhtunkhwa CM Gandapur, demanded the release of party founder Imran Khan, among other things.

Hundreds of PTI supporters and members were arrested amid the chaos in Islamabad, with reports of fierce conflict and clashes in different parts.

During the protest, Gandapur was arrested in Islamabad on charges of misusing government resources. Reports suggested that the arrest happened when he was scheduled to stage a protest at D-Chowk in Islamabad. The arrest was made after a court in Islamabad issued a non-bailable arrest warrant against Gandapur in connection with illegal arms and liquor cases.

However, the situation became tense when Pakistan's Federal Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi denied that Gandapur was in federal custody. He claimed that the leader had gone into hiding on his own.

Gandapur had reappeared the next day and addressed the KP Assembly in Peshawar.

He slammed the federal government for targetting PTI leaders, violating provincial autonomy, and attempting to erase the party's political mandate. He defended the protest, and condemned the crackdown, and vowed to resist what he called "federal interference".

--IANS

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