Formally, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan and several others were indicted on Thursday in the May 9 GHQ attack case after being delayed several times over a period. An anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Rawalpindi framed charges against 60 suspects, including prominent personalities such as Sheikh Rashid Ahmed, Raja Basharat, and Zartaj Gul. After they were indicted, the former Punjab Law Minister Raja Basharat and Leader of Opposition in the National Assembly Omar Ayub were arrested outside Adiala Jail.
ATC Judge Amjad Ali Shah previously turned down the acquittal plea from Omar Ayub. “Requests for acquittal from some other accused like Sheikh Rashid, Shireen Mazari, and Amjad Niazi were also turned down,” he also called Special Public Prosecutor Zaheer Shah. Omar Ayub was implicated as a result of confessional statements provided by Wasiq Qayyum Abbasi and Omar Tanveer Butt.
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The court noted that this request for acquittal could not be entertained at this stage because the magistrate who recorded the confessions had still not been examined on oath. The prosecutor pointed out to the court that some of the acquittal orders in related matters were under challenge in the Sargodha ATC. This court has said that at this stage of the case, which is still at its initial stage, the investigations should be complete. Evidence should also be built before any conclusions can be drawn.
There are 143 persons accused in the case, with 23 of them declared absconders for their non-appearance before the court. Imran Khan has also been accused. The incidents occurred on 9 May 2023, when supporters of the PTI stormed the GHQ in Rawalpindi after the arrest of Imran Khan in Islamabad.