Rawalpindi [Pakistan], December 20 : Pakistani Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) in Rawalpindi indicted former Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood, Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Ali Amin Gandapur, and other Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf leaders in the General Headquarters (GHQ) attack case, which took place on May 9, 2023, ARY News reported.
The Rawalpindi ATC heard the case and charged Ali Amin Gandapur and Shah Mahmood Qureshi, along with 14 other PTI leaders, ARY News reported.
The court also announced that six more accused still need to be charged. The hearing of the case has been postponed until December 21.
During the hearing, the PTI chairperson Gohar Ali Khan and other senior leaders, including Ali Amin Gandapur, Shibli Faraz, Fawad Chaudhry, and Sheikh Rasheed, were also present, ARY News reported.
Earlier, the Anti-Terrorism Court issued non-bailable arrest warrants for Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Ali Amin Gandapur and several top leaders of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf in GHQ attack case. The 25 accused named in the GHQ attack case include Ali Amin Gandapur, Shibli Faraz, Shehryar Afridi, Zain Qureshi, Kanwal Shauzab, Tahir Sadiq, and Malik Taimoor Masood, as per ARY News.
On December 5, PTI founder Imran Khan along with 60 other PTI leaders were indicted in the GHQ attack case.
Judge Amjad Ali Shah indicted Imran Khan and 60 other PTI leaders in the GHQ attack case. Following the ATC verdict, the police arrested four PTI leaders, including Omar Ayub, Raja Basharat, and Malik Ahmad Chatta, in connection with the case. 23 other accused, including Murad Saeed, Shehbaz Gill, and Zulfi Bukhari, are declared proclaimed offenders, ARY News reported.
Gohar Ali Khan was arrested on May 9, 2023 from the premises of the Islamabad High Court, where he was attending a hearing in a corruption case. Khan, who served as the Prime Minister of Pakistan from 2018 to 2022, was accused of receiving illegal gifts and assets from foreign countries.
Imran Khan's arrest sparked widespread protests in Pakistan, as his supporters and party workers took to the streets to demand his release.
The PTI protesters attacked and vandalized several civil and military installations, including the General Headquarters (GHQ) of the army in Rawalpindi, the Jinnah House in Lahore, the Mianwali airbase and others. The protesters also burned vehicles, blocked roads, and clashed with the police and security forces.
More than 5,000 people were arrested and charged under the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) and other laws for their involvement in the riots. The government also accused Khan of being the mastermind behind the attacks and said that it had evidence of his involvement, as per ARY News.