LAHORE: A Lahore Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) on Tuesday issued non-bailable arrest warrants for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur and three other senior Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders in connection with the violent protests of October 5, 2024, that rocked the provincial capital.
Warrants were also issued for Hammad Azhar, Saeed Sindhu, and Shehbaz Ahmed after they repeatedly failed to respond to police summons and did not join the investigation, despite being nominated in multiple FIRs related to the unrest.
Background of the Case
The violent demonstrations were part of a nationwide protest movement initiated by jailed PTI founder Imran Khan, who had called for rallies in support of the judiciary and against a proposed judicial reform package.
Following his call, protests erupted in several cities including Faisalabad, Bahawalpur, Mianwali, and Islamabad, with a major showdown occurring in Lahore on October 5.
According to police, PTI activists attacked law enforcement personnel, resulting in dozens of injuries on both sides.
“Over 80 police officers were injured in clashes in and around Islamabad,” Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi had said at the time.
In Lahore, clashes broke out at key protest sites including Awan-e-Adal, Badami Bagh, and Sheranwala Gate, where police fired tear gas to disperse demonstrators.
Despite a heavy police presence, protesters resisted dispersal, escalating tensions across the city.
Legal Proceedings and Investigation
Police said that all four PTI leaders had been repeatedly summoned to participate in the investigation but failed to appear.
“Their continued non-cooperation compelled the court to issue non-bailable warrants,” a senior police official stated.
The case underscores the government’s intensified scrutiny of political unrest and its zero-tolerance stance on violence against law enforcement.
