A Rawalpindi anti-terrorism court (ATC) issued non-bailable arrest warrants on Tuesday for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur in connection with the May 9, 2023 riots.
ATC Judge Malik Ejaz Asif issued non-bailable arrest warrants for the KP chief minister in the May 9 riots case lodged at Rawalpindi's City Police Station. The judge further directed the authorities to present CM Gandapur before the ATC on April 2.
Riots on May 9 spread across the country following the arrest of former Prime Minister Imran Khan in the £190 million settlement case.
During the demonstrations, miscreants targeted public and military institutions, including Jinnah House and the General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi. Hundreds of PTI activists and senior politicians were imprisoned for their roles in rioting and attacks on military sites.
The military declared May 9 "Black Day" and intended to prosecute the demonstrators under the Army Act.
Apart from CM Gandapur, non-bailable arrest warrants have been issued for Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders Murad Saeed, Shibli Faraz, Shahbaz Gill, and retired Lieutenant Colonel Shabbir Awan.
Warrants were also issued for former PTI leaders Shireen Mazari, Musarrat Jamshed Cheema, and Saad Jamil Abbasi.
In response to the arrest warrants for CM Gandapur, Adviser to the Chief Minister on Information, Barrister Mohammad Ali Saif, criticized the federal government, saying: "The mandate theft government filed a bogus case against PTI leaders."