LAHORE— A special anti-terrorism court in Lahore Friday issued arrest warrants for PTI leaders, including former federal and provincial ministers Hammad Azhar, Shafqat Mehmood, and Dr Yasmeen Rashid for vandalism during their party’s long march and protest on May 25.
The court issued the arrest warrants for PTI leaders following a request from Shahdara Police Station. Officers explained that the PTI leaders, despite their promises, did not hold a peaceful protest. As a consequence, their long march turned violent and they attacked police officers as well.
Following the complaint, the court observed that no one is allowed to do indulge in violence and disturb the peace and ordered to arrest PTI the leaders.
PTI, however, has filed a petition against the federal government in the Supreme Court, accusing it of using various ‘illegal’ tactics to quash and suppress peaceful protests by the party in Islamabad on May 25 which ultimately led to violence.
The application, filed by the party’s Secretary-General Asad Umar, argues that the government was trying to use illegal tactics to stop the party leadership, workers, and the people of Pakistan who wanted to record their peaceful protest in Islamabad.
It said the manner of arrests, by raiding the homes of party workers, was part of a series of illegal acts by the government.
The party demanded the court to direct the federal and Punjab governments to not block roads and refrain from arresting and using force against PTI workers and leaders “who want to peacefully hold any protest.”
