ATC denies acquittal pleas of Imran Khan and PTI leaders in GHQ attack case

RAWALPINDI: An anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Rawalpindi on Friday dismissed the acquittal pleas of PTI leaders, including party founder Imran Khan and former Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, in the case related to the May 9, 2023, violent protests that targeted military installations, including the General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi.

The court also rejected the acquittal pleas of other PTI leaders, such as Shibli Faraz, Shahryar Afridi, Kanwal Shauzab, Umar Tanvir Butt, and former Federal Minister Fawad Chaudhry.
Special Public Prosecutor Zaheer Shah presented arguments against the pleas, while PTI leaders were represented by lawyers Faisal Chaudhry and Faisal Malik. The court ruled that the acquittal petitions had become infructuous following the indictment of the accused in the case.

Additionally, the court turned down the requests of four accused to travel abroad due to incomplete documentation.

On Thursday, ATC Judge Amjad Ali Shah indicted PTI leader Qureshi and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur, along with 12 others, in connection with the GHQ attack case. So far, 113 suspects have been indicted, and the court has summoned six additional accused individuals on Saturday.

The GHQ attack case stems from the violent riots that erupted across Pakistan on May 9, 2023, following the arrest of former Prime Minister Imran Khan in a corruption case. Protesters attacked military installations, including the GHQ in Rawalpindi, the Corps Commander’s House in Lahore, and other public properties.