May 9 riots: Non-bailable arrest warrants for 22 PTI leaders issued

LAHORE: An anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Lahore has issued non-bailable arrest warrants for 22 Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) central leaders in the May 9 riots case, ARY News reported on Thursday.

Police pleaded with the ATC to issue non-bailable arrest warrants for the 22 PTI leaders in the May 9 riots case. The plea was accepted and arrest warrants were issued by the anti-terrorism court during the hearing today.

The nominated PTI leaders in the May 9 riots case include Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Fawad Chaudhry, Hammad Azhar, Murad Saeed, Azam Swati, Ali Amin Gandapur, Jamshed Iqbal Cheema, Musarrat Jamshed Cheema, Mian Aslam Iqbal, Hassaan Niazi, Zubair Niazi, Imtiaz Sheikh, Andleeb Abbas, Karamat Khokhar, Ghulam Abbas, Ali Abbas, Uzma Bibi and Haleema Bibi.

READ: Lt Gen among three sacked after May 9 riots: DG ISPR

Police stated in the plea that the accused were allegedly involved in vandalism, arson on May 9. It added that police tried to arrest them but they are still hiding. Police sought the issuance of their non-bailable arrest warrants.

Earlier in the day, an anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Lahore extended the judicial remand of Khadija Shah in the Jinnah House attack case.

Ms. Shah and others were presented before the ATC judge after his judicial remand expired today. The court while extending her judicial remand for 14 more days, ordered police to file a challan in the case.

Ms. Shah, a Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) activist and former finance minister Dr Salman Shah’s daughter, is currently in jail on judicial remand.

Last month, the investigators had identified 41 people from the United Kingdom (UK), United States (US) and Canada who were directly involved in inciting and facilitating May 9 riots.

Progress was made in the investigation into the May 9 riots as the authorities identified 41 people in foreign countries including UK, US and Canada who incited and facilitated the rioters.

READ: Khawaja Asif says PTI chief was mastermind of May 9 violence

Sources told ARY News that most suspects were associated with a political party and its office bearers and workers. The identification of the suspects was made through photos and videos in which they chanted anti-Pakistan slogans and incited people to participate in anti-state activities.

Three out of 41 suspects included office bearers of a political party in the UK, whereas, 12 among them were residing in London and are usually seen standing outside Avenfield House.

In Canada, the suspects included eight office bearers of the political party who are also its supporters and financers. One of the office bearers in Ottawa was found involved in planning to throw shoes on the government ministers during their visits to the US and Canada.

In the United States, one of the six suspects was identified as an office bearer of the political party’s New York chapter and the other five persons are activists.

Violent clashes broke out across Pakistan after the former prime minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chief was arrested at the Islamabad High Court (IHC).