The leaders of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Friday reached the anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Lahore for bails after it issued non-bailable arrest warrants for them over vandalism and damage to public property during the party’s long march last month, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.

It is learnt that the PTI leaders including Dr Yasmin Rashid, Jamshed Iqbal Cheema, Zubair Niazi, Andleeb Abbas, Hammad Azhar, Yasir Gillani, Nadeem Bara, and Mian Aslam Iqbal reached the anti-terrorism court for bail to avoid arrest by police.

The Gulberg and Shahdara police stations in Lahore had obtained non-bailable arrest warrants for the PTI leaders on the charge of terrorism and damage to state property during the long march on May 25 last.

It also merits a mention here that those PTI leaders who do not get bail against the arrest warrants will be arrested by police anytime.

Meanwhile, PTI leader and former information minister Fawad Chaudhry said that cases of terrorism had been filed against Hammad Azhar and Shafqat Mahmood.

“Modi is getting cases of terrorism registered against Kashmiris in the Indian occupied Kashmir, whereas, in Pakistan, Modi’s business partners are getting cases of terrorism registered against the PTI leaders,” he flayed.

“It has recently come to (my) knowledge that arrest warrants have been issued for dozens of PTI leaders including Mehmood-ur-Rasheed and Ejaz Chaudhry,” he said.

“The courts mind when the PTI workers arrive in the Red Zone, but the brutal torture of workers and fake cases of terrorism are a ‘routine act’,” he added.

“We strongly condemn this nonsense way (of dealing things),” he condemned.

“(Our) struggle continues and will continue, Inshallah,” he vowed.

In his reaction, PTI leader Hammad Azhar said “This did not happen even during the martial law era. They are struggling to run the country and they are pushing the state towards fascism.”

https://twitter.com/Hammad_Azhar/status/1535134981839806464

Earlier in the day, the Gulberg and Shahdara police stations in Lahore have obtained the non-bailable arrest warrants for the PTI leaders from an anti-terrorism court (ATC), for the government has decided to arrest 17 PTI leaders over vandalism and damage to state property in Lahore on May 25 last, the day of the party’s long march.

It is learnt that the police had approached the court for permission to arrest the PTI leaders, and, ATC Judge Abhar Gul Khan issued the arrest warrants for the PTI leaders.

The Shahdara police have obtained the arrest warrants for Hammad Azhar, Yasir Gillani, Nadeem Bara, Adeel Nawaz, Shafqat Mahmood, and Mian Mehmood-ur-Rasheed.

The Shahdara police have also obtained the arrest warrants for Ejaz Chaudhry, Ikram Usman, Hassan Niazi, Zubair Niazi, Jamshed Iqbal Cheema, and Musarrat Jamshed Cheema.

The Shahdara police have also obtained non-bailable arrest warrants for Imtiaz Sheikh, Andleeb Abbas, Murad Raas, Dr Yasmin Rashid, and Mian Aslam Iqbal.

Similarly, the Gulberg police have also obtained the arrest warrants for the PTI leaders from the court of Abhar Gul Khan.

The Gulberg police have obtained the arrest warrants for Dr Yasmin Rashid, Hammad Azhar, Andleeb Abbas, Ejaz Chaudhry, Yasir Gillani, Mian Aslam Iqbal, Murad Raas, Malik Nadeem Abbas Bara, Mian Shafqat Mahmood, Mian Mehmood-ur-Rasheed, Mian Ikram Usman and others.

The suspects are accused of terrorism and damage to state property on May 25 last, the day of the PTI’s long march.

Reporters: Jamaluddin Jamali and Saud Butt