May 9 case: ATC declares Hammad Azhar, Aslam Iqbal as POs

LAHORE: An anti-terrorism court (ATC) on Thursday declared six accused, including two leaders of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), proclaimed offenders (POs) in a case of torching police vehicles at Rahat Bakery Chowk.

The court declared the accused, Mian Aslam Iqbal, Hammad Azhar, Adnan Ashraf, Samar, Malik Haider Ali, and Muhammad Qasim, as proclaimed offenders.

The investigation officer of Sarwar Road Police Station had filed an application for declaring the accused as proclaimed offenders.

The officer stated that hectic efforts were made for the arrest of the accused but they could not be arrested as they went into hiding to avoid arrest.

He submitted that non-bailable arrest warrants had already been issued against the accused, but they did not surrender to the law.

He requested the court to declare the accused as proclaimed offenders.

ATC Judge Muhammad Naveed Iqbal allowed the application and declared the accused as POs in the case under Section 87 of Criminal Procedure Code.

The Sarwar Road police had registered a case against the PTI leaders and workers on the charges of torching police vehicles at Rahat Bakery Chowk, during May-9 riots.