May 9 riots: Non-bailable arrest warrants issued for KP CM Ali Amin Gandapur

In a major development, an anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Rawalpindi Tuesday issued non-bailable arrest warrants for several Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf leaders, including Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur in a case related to riots on May 9, 2023.

ATC Judge Malik Ejaz Asif issued the non-bailable arrest warrants for the KP chief executive in the mayhem case file at the Rawalpindi’s City Pollice Station. The judge also ordered the authorities concerned to produce CM Gandapur before the ATC on April 2.

The May 9 riots were triggered almost across the country after deposed prime minister Imran Khan’s arrest in the £190 million settlement case.

During the protests, the miscreants targeted the civil and military installations including — Jinnah House and the General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi. Hundreds of PTI workers and senior leaders were put behind bars for their involvement in violence and attacks on military installations.

The military termed May 9 "Black Day" and decided to try the protesters under the Army Act.

Apart from CM Gandapur, non-bailable arrest warrants were also issued for Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders Murad Saeed, Shibli Faraz, Shahbaz Gill and retired Lieutenant Colonel Shabbir Awan.

The warrants were also issued for former PTI leaders Shireen Mazari, Musarrat Jamshed Cheema, Saad Jamil Abbasi.

The PTI leaders were nominated in the case in the light of the statements recorded by suspects Wasiq Qayyum, Umer Tanveer Butt and Sadaqat Abbasi.

Reacting to the arrest warrants for CM Gandapur, Adviser to the Chief Minister on Information Barrister Mohammad Ali Saif slammed the federal government and said: “The mandate theft government lodged fake cases [against PTI leaders]”

Action would be taken as per the law on all the fake case filed against the PTI leaders, he added.

Talking about alleged discrimination, the PTI leader said that no action is being taken against Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz’s brothers, who allegedly stole billion of rupees from the national kitty.

Earlier today, a district and sessions court in Islamabad granted relief to PTI founder Imran Khan in two different cases pertaining to the vandalism during March 2022 long march on the former prime minister's plea seeking acquittal.

Judicial Magistrate Shaista Kundi accepted Khan's petitions and acquitted him in cases registered at Islamabad's Lohi Bhair and Sahala police stations.

At the outset of the hearing, Khan's lawyer, Advocate Naeem Panjotha, argued that the vandalism, as per the case, took place at his client's behest.

"Several cases were registered in a single day, PTI's founder was [framed] in the same role," he further argued.

He added that neither a notification was issued nor the party was informed regarding the enforcement of Section 144. The lawyer maintained that the plaintiff is the Station House Officer (SHO), who has no jurisdiction to register the case.

"There are no witness statements in the cases filed against the PTI founder," he further argued.