Rawalpindi (Web Desk): An Anti-Terrorism Court in Rawalpindi on Thursday indicted Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder and former premier Imran Khan and several other leaders of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party for their involvement in the violent attack on the General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi on May 9, 2023.
The attack, which occurred in the midst of widespread unrest triggered by Khan's arrest, resulted in significant damage to military property.
The court proceedings, led by Judge Amjad Ali Shah, took place at a temporary facility set up within Adiala Jail.
Over 100 individuals were named in the case, including senior PTI figures such as Sheikh Rashid, Omar Ayub, Sheikh Rashid Shafiq, Raja Basharat, and Zartaj Gul.
In the aftermath of the charges, Omar Ayub was immediately arrested, while Raja Basharat was detained as soon as he left the courtroom. The case has been postponed until December 10 for further hearings.
Earlier, a number of PTI leaders, including Omar Ayub, Zartaj Gul, and others, attended the hearing at Adiala Jail, where the court had summoned all those accused in connection with the GHQ attack.
Authorities expect to formally charge around 120 individuals, including Imran Khan, in the case.
In addition, the court has ordered the production of former Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi from his detention in Lahore.
The court also issued arrest warrants for several prominent PTI members, including Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's (KP) Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur, Shibli Faraz, and Shireen Mazari.
The charges outlined in the investigation are severe, alleging that the accused, under the leadership of Raja Basharat, stormed the GHQ, causing extensive damage and defying warnings from military personnel.
The investigation report claimed that the protesters not only vandalized property but also breached sensitive areas, setting fires and hurling petrol bombs.
The protesters allegedly shouted slogans targeting the military and its leadership, with claims that the violence was part of a deliberate conspiracy to discredit Pakistan's armed forces.
