Islamabad: An anti-terrorism court in Islamabad on Friday declared Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan and Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) chief Tahir-ul-Qadri as absconders in a case related to an attack on a senior police officer.
The same court had issued arrest warrants on Wednesday against the PTI and PAT chiefs and a number of other leaders of the two parties including chief minister of Khyber Pakthtunkhwa province Pervaiz Khattak and vice-chairman of PTI Shah Mahmoud Quraishi.
The warrants were in connection with the storming by protesters of parliamentary premises and a building housing the state broadcaster after the two parties launched sit-ins in Islamabad on August 15, demanding resignation of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.
The attack on Islamabad’s senior superintendent of police Asmatullah Junejo on the first of September also allegedly involved protesters from both parties.
While Tahir-ul-Qadri ended his party’s sit-in last month and is currently abroad, Imran has addressed participants of the continuing PTI sit-in here almost daily.
Islamabad police have, however, not made any move so far to arrest Imran or any of the other leaders against whom arrest warrants were issued.
Khan has said he won’t seek bail from the anti-terrorism court. He added that he was not afraid of going to jail.
The PTI leader said the government was trying to intimidate him through arm-twisting tactics in a bid to deter him from holding the November 30 rally in Islamabad.
“Whether I am in jail or not, there will be historic gathering in Islamabad on November 30,” Imran said while addressing party workers on Thursday night.
PAT spokesman Raheeq Abbasi, who is also among those facing arrest warrants, said Qadri would return to Pakistan on November 20 to resume his movement for change in the country.
