ATC throws out acquittal pleas of PTI leaders including Imran, Qureshi in GHQ case

A Rawalpindi anti-terrorism court (ATC) on Friday rejected acquittal pleas of PTI leaders including party founder Imran Khan and former foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi in the GHQ attack case.

The court also rejected the acquittal pleas of PTI leaders Shibli Faraz, Shahryar Afridi, Kanwal Shauzab, Umar Tanvir Butt and former federal minister Fawad Chaudhry.

Special Public Prosecutor Zaheer Shah presented arguments against the acquittal petitions, while lawyers Faisal Chaudhry and Faisal Malik represented the PTI leaders along with the legal team.

Rejecting the pleas, the ATC said acquittal petitions became infructuous after the indictment of the accused in the case.

The court also rejected the pleas of four accused to go abroad due to incomplete documents.

A day earlier, ATC Rawalpindi Judge Amjad Ali Shah indicted PTI leader Qureshi and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur among 14 in the GHQ attack case.

A total of 113 suspects have been indicted in the case so far while the court also summoned the other six accused named in the case tomorrow (Saturday).

The GHQ attack case emanated from the May 9 riots that broke out in several parts of the country following the arrest of former PM Imran in a corruption case.

The violent protests also saw attacks on public properties including military installations including the General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi, the corps commander's house in Lahore and others.

The attacks and ransacking of the army properties resulted in the registration of dozens of cases against the PTI leaders and workers, with several members facing trial under the Army Act.