Sangjani rally case: Arrest warrants issued for PTI’s Omar Ayub, Zartaj Gul and Sheikh Waqas

Islamabad (Web Desk): An anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Islamabad on Monday ordered the arrest of several senior members of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) in connection with a rally the party held in the Sangjani area in September 2024.

During the hearing, presided over by ATC Judge Tahir Abbas Sipra, the court issued arrest warrants for former opposition leader in the National Assembly Omar Ayub, PTI leader Zartaj Gul, and the party’s Information Secretary Sheikh Waqas Akram.

The judge instructed the police to take the accused into custody and present them before the court by October 20.

Judge Sipra remarked that the three leaders had failed to appear before the court even once and consequently dismissed Ayub’s plea seeking exemption from attendance.

The case concerns PTI’s public gathering in Sangjani last year, organized to demand the release of the party’s founder, Imran Khan, who has been imprisoned since August 5, 2023, in a series of cases involving charges of terrorism and corruption.

The new warrants further deepen the party’s legal and political troubles, as several of its top members, including Khan, Shah Mehmood Qureshi, and Yasmin Rashid, are already behind bars.

PTI’s parliamentary standing has also weakened after the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) disqualified Omar Ayub and Shibli Faraz from their posts as opposition leaders in the National Assembly and Senate following their convictions in the May 9 incidents.

Amid these mounting challenges, the party is also struggling with internal discord. Just last month, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur admitted that divisions and rival factions continue to exist within PTI’s ranks.