ISLAMABAD – Islamabad Police registered over a dozen criminal cases, including terrorism, attempted murder, dacoity and rioting charges, against participants and organisers of a Kashmir Solidarity rally held in Sector F-10, naming former senator Mushtaq Ahmad Khan and several other leaders in connection with the protest.
A case registered at Shalimar Police Station, invokes Section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) along with multiple provisions of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC), the Public Property Act, and the Peaceful Assembly and Public Order Act, 2024. FIR alleges that Mushtaq Ahmad Khan announced the July 31 protest during a press conference held on July 29 and widely publicised the gathering through electronic and social media platforms.
Police have also named organisers and participants, 500 unidentified protesters, saying that additional suspects would be identified during the investigation. Police said rally began at F-10 Markaz around 5:00 pm, where Mushtaq Ahmad Khan allegedly addressed the crowd through a loudspeaker, delivered inflammatory speeches, and encouraged protesters to force shops to shut down while raising slogans against state institutions.
FIR claims that at around 6:30 pm, participants were urged to march toward Jinnah Avenue with the intention of blocking major roads. Police further allege that the crowd was warned through repeated loudspeaker announcements that protests were prohibited in Islamabad and that organisers had not obtained the required No Objection Certificate (NOC) under the Peaceful Assembly and Public Order Act, 2024.
Despite warnings, FIR stated, protesters allegedly blocked the Main Double Road near Shalimar Plaza in F-10 at around 7:10 pm, bringing traffic to a standstill. The police complaint alleges that protesters attacked a DSNG media vehicle covering the rally, surrounded it and vandalised it. It further claims that demonstrators struck public and private vehicles with sticks, pelted stones at passing traffic and damaged an official police vehicle, GV-173, shattering its windows.
FIR also alleges that the uniforms of two police personnel were torn during clashes and that anti-riot equipment and wireless communication sets were forcibly snatched from several officers at gunpoint. Protesters allegedly threatened police officials with death, obstructed them from performing official duties and continued blocking roads for nearly three hours.
The complainant further alleges that Mushtaq Ahmad Khan instructed protesters through a loudspeaker not to spare any additional media vehicles that arrived at the protest site. Police contend that the alleged acts spread fear and panic among the public, disrupted traffic, damaged public property and amounted to terrorism under Pakistani law.
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