RAWALPINDI – An Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) on Tuesday declared 18 Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) suspects as proclaimed offenders in connection with the May 9 attack on the General Headquarters (GHQ).
The suspects named by the court include Shibli Faraz, Umar Ayub, Kanwal Shoaib, Sheikh Rashid Shafiq, and Zartaj Gul.
The others declared absconders are Mehr Javed, Muhammad Ahmad Chatha, Rai Hasan Nawaz, Bilal Ijaz, Murtaza Khan, Ashraf Sohna, Chaudhry Asif, Shakeel Niazi, Muhammad Ansar Iqbal, Haider Mehmood, Shaheer Sikander and Hamza Latif.
The court ordered the seizure of all immovable properties of the absconding suspects and directed the revenue officers in their respective districts to execute the orders.
It further instructed that if the accused fail to surrender within the prescribed timeframe, their properties will be auctioned. Notices have also been issued to the guarantors of the accused.
This year in September, an Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) in Rawalpindi rejected a petition filed by PTI founder Imran Khan seeking suspension of proceedings in the May 9 GHQ attack case.
During the proceedings, Khan’s legal team had requested that the trial be stopped until the Lahore High Court’s Rawalpindi Bench announces its decision regarding video-link hearings. The court, however, dismissed the plea.
At the same time, the ATC recorded the statements of three prosecution witnesses — DSP Akbar Abbas, Inspector Ismat Kamal, and Inspector Tehzeeb-ul-Hassan.
The court also issued notices to the prosecution on an application seeking to summon eight witnesses again.
The high-profile case stems from violent incidents on May 9 last year when military installations, including the General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi, came under attack during protests following Imran Khan’s arrest.
Imran Khan’s other nephew Sher Shah gets bail in May 9 Jinnah House Attack case
