A fresh legal hurdle has emerged for 24 Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf leaders and lawmakers facing cases linked to protest activities in Islamabad.
An anti-terrorism court in Islamabad has directed the Federal Investigation Agency to block their passports. The order includes Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi and PTI leader Omar Ayub.
ATC Orders FIA to Block Passports
ATC Judge Abul Hasnat Muhammad Zulqarnain issued the order after police sought permission to block the accused persons’ passports.
The investigating officer told the court that the accused could leave the country to avoid facing legal proceedings. Therefore, the officer requested that their passports be blocked until further orders.
The court accepted the request and directed FIA authorities to impound the passports of the named accused. The restriction will remain in place until further orders from the court.
Several PTI Leaders Named in Order
The order includes several prominent PTI lawmakers alongside Sohail Afridi and Omar Ayub. Former National Assembly speaker Asad Qaiser is also among those named.
Other PTI leaders mentioned include Sher Afzal Khan Marwat, Junaid Akbar, Shahid Khattak and Zubair Wazir. Several other PTI lawmakers have also been included in the court’s order.
The court order stated: “As per available records, all the accused persons [are] implicated with heinous allegations regarding attack on state institutions and advancing the cause. An instant FIR has been registered on 26.11.2026, but accused persons named above have failed to surrender before the court and some accused named above who obtained ad-interim bail from this court had not joined the investigation of instant case till date despite lapse of considerable period,”
Cases Linked to November 26 Protest
The cases against the PTI leaders were registered at Margalla and Kohsar police stations. The FIRs contain various charges related to protest activities in the federal capital on November 26 in 2023.
Last week, Islamabad’s ATC also maintained arrest warrants for Sohail Afridi, Junaid Akbar and several other accused. The proceedings concerned a separate case connected with the November 26 protest.
ATC Judge Tahir Abbas Supra rejected exemption applications submitted by accused persons who failed to attend the hearing. The judge also directed police to submit the challan against Afridi and other accused as soon as possible.
The court further ordered arrest warrants for accused persons who remained absent during the proceedings.
Afridi Faces Multiple Cases in Islamabad
Police records show that multiple FIRs have been registered against Sohail Afridi at different Islamabad police stations. The ATC had previously issued his arrest warrants in November in a case involving alleged arson during the November 26 protest.
Meanwhile, Islamabad’s Cyber Crime Wing has registered two separate cases against Afridi. The case currently before the ATC was registered at Margalla Police Station against Afridi and other accused.
Proceedings to declare the K-P chief minister and the other accused proclaimed offenders are also underway. Meanwhile, the passport-blocking order adds another legal development to the cases involving the PTI leaders.
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