Pakistani court issues warrants for PTI leaders over 2024 Islamabad protest

A Pakistani anti-terrorism court has issued arrest warrants for 18 leaders and lawmakers from former prime minister Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party over a case linked to its November 2024 protest in Islamabad, ordering authorities to arrest them and present them before the court.

Why did a Pakistani court issue warrants for PTI leaders?

The Anti-Terrorism Court issued the warrants after police requested the action, saying the accused had neither secured bail nor appeared before the court.

The case was registered at Kohsar Police Station in Islamabad and includes charges of terrorism and attempted murder, according to the court order.

Who are the PTI leaders named in the arrest warrants?

Among those named in the warrants are Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly Speaker Babar Saleem Swati, former opposition leader in the National Assembly Umar Ayub, and lawmakers Riaz Khan, Shah Had, Zubair Wazir, Zar Alam, Akhtar Khan, Abdul Karim, Muhammad Usman, Asif Mehsud, Sher Ali Arbab, Irshad Umarzai, Mian Umar, Hamayun Khan, Tufail Anjum and Ajab Gul. PTI leaders Irfan Saleem and Malik Shahab are also named in the case.

The court order said three other PTI leaders, Asad Qaiser, Shehram Tarakai and Ali Zaman, had obtained bail before arrest and were therefore not included among those facing the new warrants.

What happened during PTI's November 2024 Islamabad protest?

The case stems from PTI's November 26, 2024 protest in Islamabad, when thousands of supporters travelled to the capital to demand Khan's release and that of other detained party leaders. The party also alleged that the government was illegitimate following disputed national elections earlier that year.

The demonstration triggered a major security response, with authorities deploying police and paramilitary forces, blocking roads and using tear gas to prevent protesters from reaching key areas of the capital. The confrontation resulted in the deaths of at least four paramilitary personnel, while dozens of people were injured and hundreds of protesters were arrested.

Security forces launched an operation late on November 26 to disperse the protesters, bringing the demonstration to an abrupt end and adding to political tensions between Khan's party and the government. Khan, who has been imprisoned in several cases, remains a central figure in Pakistan's opposition politics, while PTI leaders and supporters have continued to face legal cases arising from protests and clashes with authorities.