On Thursday, an anti-terrorism court formally charged 23 individuals, including a PTI Member of the National Assembly (MNA), in connection with the vandalism incidents that occurred on May 09. All 23 accused entered pleas of not guilty in response to the charges.
The court scheduled the next hearing of the case and called for prosecution witnesses to testify, adjourning the proceedings until December 4.
According to the police chargesheet, the accused were involved in blocking the main Ghilanai road in Mohmand on May 09, disrupting traffic. Additionally, the chargesheet stated that the accused delivered hate speeches against security forces and national institutions during the incident. The case against the accused was registered at Ghilanai police station.
The charges and subsequent trial are linked to violent clashes that erupted across Pakistan after the arrest of the former prime minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief at the Islamabad High Court on May 09. Protests took place in various locations, both remote and major cities, with party workers expressing agitation over their leader’s arrest.
The regions of Balochistan, Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Islamabad witnessed demonstrations, leading to the armed forces being called upon to maintain law and order. Notably, during the protests, PTI workers attacked army installations and the Corps Commander’s house in Lahore.
Bushra Bibi Requests Bench Transfer Due to Lack of Confidence in IHC Chief Justice Aamer Farooq
On Thursday, former first lady Bushra Bibi expressed a lack of confidence in Islamabad High Court (IHC) Chief Justice Aamer Farooq.
This expression of no-confidence occurred during a hearing on a plea in which Bushra Bibi sought a private meeting with her incarcerated husband, PTI Chairman Imran Khan, in Adiala Jail.
Due to her lack of trust in the Chief Justice, Bushra Bibi requested the transfer of her plea to another bench. The lawyer representing the former first lady argued before the IHC, stating that they have observed a consistent nature in the decisions made by the bench of the IHC Chief Justice.
