ATC issues non bailable arrest warrants of KP minister

ISLAMABAD: An Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) Tuesday issued non-bailable arrest warrants of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Information Minister Shaukat Yousafzai for his non-appearance in court despite various notices in a case pertaining to attack on the state-run TV and Parliament buildings during the PTI and Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) sit-in in 2014.

The hearing was resumed by the ATC judge Kausar Abbas Zaidi who expressed anger over absence of Shaukat Yousafzai in the case and ordered for his arrest and production before the court in the next date of hearing.

The court also issued non-bailable arrest warrants of other 26 protestants who were permanently not appearing before the court in the said case. The court accepted the exemption from hearing applications by federal ministers Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Asad Umar, Pervaiz Khattak, Shafqat Mehmood and PTI leader Jahangir Khan Tareen. Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs Shah Mehmood Qureshi had already filed an acquittal plea under Section 265-K of Criminal Procedure Code in the same matter. The court also issued notices to prosecution for further discussion on acquittal pleas by the PTI and PAT leaders in the next date. The court was adjourned till March 28.