• Omar Ayub, Raja Basharat arrested after hearing; non-bailable warrants issued after Bushra skips another hearing of Toshakhana case
• Shaheen accuses police of racial profiling, breaching privacy by checking mobile phones; 146 PTI supporters sent on five-day remand
ISLAMABAD: Former prime minister Imran Khan and other PTI leaders were indicted on Thursday in a case concerning the attack on the army’s General Headquarters in Rawalpindi during violent protests, prompted by the arrest of the PTI founder in a corruption case on May 9 last year.
Mr Khan, who has been incarcerated in Adiala Jail since August 2023, was arrested by the Rawalpindi police in the May 9 protest case in January, whereas the police arrested his aides Omar Ayub and ex-Punjab law minister Raja Basharat after the indictment by an anti-terrorism court in Rawalpindi.
ATC judge Amjad Ali Shah also indicted several leaders and supporters of the PTI in the same case.
In a late-night development, sources said the custody of PTI leaders Omar Ayub Khan, Raja Basharat and Ahmed Chattha had been handed over to Attock police as they were nominated in various cases under the Anti-Terrorism Act, registered at various police stations of Attock, Hazro and Hassanabdal.
Sources said that all the three arrested leaders had been shifted to Police Lines from where they would be handed over to a team sent by the Attock district police officer.
Separately, a special court presided over by judge Shahrukh Arjumand issued non-bailable arrest warrants for Bushra Bibi, spouse of Imran Khan, after her repeated absences in the Toshakhana case regarding the Bulgari jewellery set. The court questioned her failure to appear despite previous assurances from her legal team.
Special public prosecutor Zulfiqar Naqvi claimed that this was the 10th hearing without an indictment, and called for the issuance of arrest warrants. He argued that the trial could not be indefinitely stalled due to Bushra Bibi’s non-appearance, saying that she attended only two out of ten hearings after the approval of her bail.
Bushra Bibi’s lawyer Usman Gill assured the court that she would cooperate fully with the trial, promising her presence or representation at the next hearing. He cited her poor health and the numerous FIRs registered against her as reasons for her absence.
Meanwhile, PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan urged the court to exempt her from personal attendance, stressing that their cases were being handled on a fast-track basis.
The prosecution countered these pleas, arguing that Bushra Bibi’s repeated absences demonstrated a lack of regard for the legal process.
“She does not deserve further relief,” the prosecutor stated, adding that the court had already shown leniency on multiple occasions. Eventually, the judge issued warrants for her arrest and dismissed her exemption plea.
The court also issued a notice to her guarantor, questioning why the surety bond should not be confiscated if she still failed to appear for the next hearing.
146 remanded
Meanwhile, in Islamabad, ATC Judge Tahir Abbas Sipra granted a five-day physical remand for 146 individuals arrested in connection with the D-Chowk protest. The suspects were presented before the court on Tuesday, where prosecutors sought additional time for investigation and evidence collection.
During the hearing, the court confirmed the headcount of the accused and inquired about their previous remand periods.
Prosecutor Raja Naveed informed the court that the individuals had initially been remanded for five days and requested an extension, arguing that further inquiries and evidence recovery were necessary.
The defence lawyers contested the remand, highlighting alleged discrepancies in the arrests. Counsel for two accused, Ziaul Haq and Zahoorul Haq, argued that their clients, both labourers from Kohistan, were arrested two days before the case was officially registered.
Another lawyer claimed that two individuals, Sheikh Farid and Khurram Shahzad, were detained from Pims without proper evidence or warrants. Judge Sipra expressed frustration over the lack of clarity regarding the specifics of the arrests. The court also addressed concerns regarding the arrest of Afghan nationals and other ethnic groups involved in the case.
The judge stressed the importance of impartiality, remarking, “The Pashtuns have suffered greatly from bomb blasts for decades. We must not generalise or discriminate.”
‘Racial profiling’
Separately, PTI leader Shoaib Shaheen, while talking to the media outside the ATC, accused the police of engaging in racial profiling.
“They just look at the CNICs and pick up anyone who had his [card] made in KP,” he claimed, adding that the police were checking the mobile phones of people, regardless of their ethnicity and if they “find any photo, video, group or message Imran Khan, they put them in jail”.
He went on to say that family members visiting their relatives, who had been detained, were also taken into custody. “This is an extremely dangerous act and a conspiracy to break Pakistan. We strongly condemn this,” he added.
Mohammad Asghar in Rawalpindi also contributed to this report
Published in Dawn, December 6th, 2024
