GHQ Attack Case
An anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Rawalpindi has imposed a travel ban on all individuals nominated in the case concerning the attack on Pakistan’s General Headquarters (GHQ).
The court’s decision is aimed at preventing these individuals from leaving the country until the legal proceedings are completed. The travel restriction has been formalized through a letter sent to the Director General of Immigration, instructing that the accused individuals be barred from traveling abroad.
The travel ban is enforced under Section 28-A of the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA), which is designed to ensure that individuals involved in serious criminal cases remain available for legal proceedings.
This is part of the ongoing investigation and trial related to the GHQ attack that occurred on May 9, 2023, when a mob attacked the military headquarters following the arrest of former Prime Minister Imran Khan.
As part of the case, a total of 23 individuals have been declared absconders, and permanent arrest warrants have been issued for them.
Notably, some of the absconders include high-profile figures like Shahbaz Gill, Murad Saeed, Hamad Azhar, and Zulfi Bukhari, who are all facing serious charges related to the incident. In total, 120 individuals are currently undergoing trial in connection with the GHQ attack.
On November 16, 2024, an ATC in Rawalpindi was unable to indict the PTI leaders and workers for the third time, further delaying progress in the case.
The court proceedings had seen the prosecution present copies of supplementary charge-sheets to the accused, including former Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, former Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid, and opposition leader in the National Assembly, Omar Ayub.
However, some of the lawyers representing the accused raised objections, arguing that new charges were being leveled against their clients without providing supporting evidence.
Public Prosecutor Zaheer Shah highlighted that 102 of the 125 accused had failed to submit their power of attorney documents, prompting the request for the appointment of state counsels for those defendants.
Among the accused, Imran Khan, who is currently in detention at Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi, was marked absent in court for security reasons.
Despite this, his attendance was officially recorded. Shah Mahmood Qureshi, who is detained in Lahore, was specially brought to Rawalpindi to attend the hearing.
Several PTI leaders, including Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur, Shibli Faraz, Shireen Mazari, and Zartaj Gul, were unable to attend the court session. However, their applications for exemption from appearing in person were approved.
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