An anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Islamabad issued a bailable arrest warrant on Thursday for Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly, Omar Ayub, in connection with a protest held in October 2024.
The case stems from a clash between PTI supporters and Islamabad police on October 4, just days ahead of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit. Hundreds of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) activists defied security cordons and roadblocks to stage demonstrations at various points in the capital. More than 100 party workers — including former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s two sisters — were arrested during the crackdown.
The hearing took place in the ATC presided over by Judge Tahir Abbas Sipra, relating to an FIR lodged at Shahzad Town police station.
Lawyers representing the PTI leaders, including Advocates Sardar Masroof Khan, Zahid Bashir Dar, Murtaza Toori, and Mirza Asim, appeared before the court. During the proceedings, the judge issued a bailable warrant for Ayub’s arrest and revoked any prior bail granted to those absent from the hearing.
However, the court granted exemption from appearance to Senator Azam Swati, after accepting his request submitted a day earlier. The hearing was then adjourned to July 30.
In a video statement released a day earlier, Advocate Masroof expressed concern over the “speed” at which these cases were being pursued, arguing that it undermined the right to a fair trial. He noted that some accused had traveled from distant areas like Azad Kashmir and Mardan without having proper accommodations in Islamabad.
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“If these trials are bulldozed and justice isn’t served properly, it will be very difficult to meet the standards of due process,” he said, urging the courts to punish only those who are genuinely guilty.
This development follows a series of recent convictions by anti-terrorism courts. Just days ago, two ATCs handed down 10-year prison sentences to several senior PTI leaders over their alleged roles in the violent May 9, 2023 riots. A court in Lahore sentenced eight leaders to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment, while acquitting six others. Another court in Sargodha convicted 32 individuals, including MNA Ahmad Chattha and Punjab Assembly Opposition Leader Ahmed Khan Bhachar.
In May, Islamabad police had also nominated several top PTI figures — including Omar Ayub, party Chairman Barrister Gohar Khan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur, and Barrister Muhammad Ali Saif — in another October protest case registered at the Koral police station.