ATC Islamabad PTI Case: Arrest Warrants Issued For KP CM

Islamabad – (Staff Reporter/Web Desk) – The ATC Islamabad PTI case took a serious turn on Thursday when an Anti-Terrorism Court ordered the arrest of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi along with several other PTI-backed lawmakers.

The court issued non-bailable warrants after the accused failed to show up for earlier hearings. Judges said enough time had already been given.

Along with CM Afridi, the warrants named provincial Information Minister Shafi Jan, MNA Shahid Ahmed Khattak, and MPA Meena Khan Afridi. All four now face charges under anti-terrorism laws.

The case stems from a police complaint filed at Ramna Police Station. The judge told the station house officer to arrest the four suspects without delay and bring them to court.

This isn’t the only case connected to last year’s unrest. Police in Margalla registered a separate complaint, and that court also handed down non-bailable warrants, this time for eight lawmakers.

Those named in the Margalla case include Shahid Khattak, Maulana Nasim Ali Shah, Aamir Dogar, Atif Khan, and Iqbal Afridi, along with Meena Khan Afridi, Dr Amjad, and Shafi Jan.

Both cases trace back to violent protests on November 26, 2024. Demonstrators at the time were pushing the government to free PTI founder Imran Khan from jail.

Khan, 71, has remained locked up since August 2023. He’s been hit with a long list of cases since losing power in April 2022 through a no-confidence vote, ranging from corruption to terrorism.

This latest court action follows closely behind another ruling. Just a day earlier, the same ATC upheld arrest warrants for CM Afridi and other party figures, including Junaid Akbar and Abdul Ghani Afridi.

The court also turned down requests from the accused to skip appearing in person. Judge Tahir Abbas Sipra made it clear that personal presence was required going forward.

He directed police to finish preparing the formal charge sheet as soon as possible. The next hearing in that matter has been pushed to September 30.

The judge’s decision came after multiple absences from the suspects during court proceedings. Their lawyers had asked for exemptions, but those requests were rejected outright.

With warrants now active in both the Ramna and Margalla cases, pressure is mounting on KP’s top officials. How and when police will act on these orders remains to be seen.

Legal experts say the coming weeks could prove critical, especially with the September 30 hearing date already on the calendar. All eyes will be on whether the named lawmakers appear or continue avoiding court.

For now, the ATC Islamabad PTI case stands as one of the most closely watched legal battles tied to the November 26 protests, with a sitting chief minister facing direct arrest orders.