SARGODHA: The legal troubles for Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders continue to mount as an Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) in Sargodha formally indicted National Assembly Opposition Leader Omar Ayub Khan in connection with the May 9 attack on the Mianwali judicial complex.
Among those indicted in Judge Muhammad Naeem’s court were Punjab Assembly Opposition Leader Malik Ahmad Khan Bhachar and several other PTI leaders. As the accused refused to admit to the charges, the court adjourned the hearing until February 28, instructing that witnesses be summoned for the next session.
According to police, 57 individuals are named in the case, with an additional 150 unnamed persons also involved. This indictment comes on the heels of a separate ruling by an ATC in Faisalabad, which issued non-bailable warrants for Ayub, Senate Opposition Leader Shibli Faraz, and others, in relation to their alleged involvement in the May 9 riots.
Additionally, arrest warrants were issued for PTI leaders Kanwal Shauzab and former party member Fawad Chaudhry after they failed to appear in court for a case registered at the Civil Lines Police Station.
The fresh indictment of Ayub adds to the ongoing legal challenges faced by PTI leadership. Party founder Imran Khan, alongside senior figures like Shah Mahmood Qureshi and others, is embroiled in multiple legal cases stemming from the violent events of May 9. These incidents saw military installations being attacked by an enraged mob, following the arrest of Imran Khan in a corruption case.
The May 9 riots have been blamed on the PTI by the then-government led by the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), the caretaker government, and the current administration under Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. However, PTI strongly denies these allegations.
In the aftermath of the riots, military courts tried individuals involved in the attacks, sentencing 85 people to prison terms ranging from two to 10 years. However, 19 convicts have since been pardoned after filing mercy petitions. PTI has vowed to challenge the military court convictions, labeling the trials of civilians in military courts as a “blatant violation of justice.”
Earlier, Omar Ayub expressed his frustration with the legal system, condemning both the federal and provincial governments for “destroying the country” and called for fresh elections. He also voiced concerns over the party’s ongoing legal battles and claimed that Bushra Bibi, the wife of Imran Khan, had been denied the opportunity to meet the incarcerated former prime minister.
Ayub also noted that the delays in legal proceedings were a result of the lack of constitutional supremacy in the country. In addition, he called for the establishment of a commission to investigate the causes behind terrorist attacks targeting security forces personnel and officers.
