PESHAWAR: An anti-terrorism court indicted Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur and 13 others in the General Headquarters (GHQ) attack case stemming from the May 9 incidents, media reported.
Chief Minister Gandapur appeared in court, leading to the cancellation of his arrest warrants. The hearing also saw the attendance of several high-profile accused, including the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan, Shah Mahmood Qureshi and Shibli Faraz.
The court framed charges against Gandapur and 13 co-accused, while adjourning the case until De-cember 21. The accused pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Among those indicted were Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Shehryar Afridi, Colonel Shabbir
Awan, Latasab Satti, Umar Tanveer Butt, Shibli Faraz, Kanwal Shauzab, Taimoor Masood, Saad Ali Khan, Sikandar Zaib, Zohaib Afridi, Fahad Masood, and Raja Nasser Mehmood.
Thus far, a total of 113 individuals have been charged in connection with the GHQ attack case.
Chief Minister Gandapur, along with Afridi and Shauzab, filed Section 265-D applications, which the court has scheduled for a hearing on Wednesday. Additionally, Gandapur appointed Advocate Ghulam Hasnain Sumbal as his pleader in the case.
Following the court proceedings, Gandapur expressed gratitude to the judge for cancelling his arrest warrant. After the hearing, the KP Chief Minister visited Adiala Jail to meet the PTI founder.
The GHQ attack case involving Imran Khan is linked to his arrest on May 9, 2023, at the Islamabad High Court, where he was attending a hearing related to allegations of corruption.
Following Imran’s arrest, widespread protests erupted across Pakistan, with his supporters and party members demanding his release. The protests escalated into riots, during which PTI supporters tar-geted and vandalised numerous civil and military installations.
Key sites of unrest included General Headquarters (GHQ) of the army in Rawalpindi, Jinnah House in Lahore, Mianwali airbase and Corps Commander House in Lahore.
Protesters set vehicles on fire, blocked roads, and clashed with police and security forces, leading to significant violence and property damage. In response to the unrest, the government arrested over 5,000 individuals, charging them under the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) and other laws. –Agencies
