Court Orders Arrest of Former PTI Leader Omar Ayub Amid May 9 Case Proceedings
In a recent development, the court has directed the City Police Officer (CPO) to arrest former National Assembly opposition leader Omar Ayub and present him in court on August 18.
This order follows a tweet by Omar Ayub, a prominent Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader, which was seen as criticism of the court. Earlier, the Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) dismissed his interim bail applications in three major cases related to the May 9 incidents.
The First Information Report (FIR) in these cases includes allegations of attacks on Jinnah House, the Askari Tower, and the arson attack at Shadman Police Station.
During recent court hearings, Omar Ayub did not appear in person. His legal team requested an exemption from personal attendance, but the court rejected this plea and dismissed his interim bail applications in all three cases.
This decision comes after an earlier ruling by an Anti-Terrorism Court in Faisalabad, which sentenced several PTI leaders — including Omar Ayub, Zartaj Gul, and Shibli Faraz — to 10 years in prison over their alleged roles in the May 9 riots.
The Faisalabad ATC verdict, covering cases registered at the Ghulam Muhammadabad and Civil Lines police stations, convicted 108 people while acquitting 77 others. Among those acquitted were former PTI leaders Fawad Chaudhry, Zain Qureshi, and Khayal Kastro.
Meanwhile, PTI MPA Junaid Afzal Sahi was sentenced to three years in prison. Sheikh Rashid Shafiq, nephew of Sheikh Rashid, and Sahibzada Hamid Raza, head of SIC, also received 10-year sentences.
Other convicted PTI figures include Rai Hassan Nawaz, Rai Murtaza Iqbal, Chaudhry Bilal Ijaz, Mrs. Farrukh Agha, Farkhunda Kokab, Kanwal Shauzab, Mohammad Ahmad Chattha, Chaudhry Asif Ali, Shakeel Ahmad Khan Niazi, Sardar Azimullah Khan, Mehr Muhammad Javed, and Muhammad Ansar Iqbal.
In the Ghulam Muhammadabad case, 60 out of 67 accused were convicted, while 7 were acquitted in the Civil Lines case.
It is notable that on July 22, an ATC in Lahore sentenced other PTI leaders, including Dr. Yasmin Rashid, Mian Mahmoodur Rasheed, and Senator Ejaz Chaudhry, to 10 years imprisonment for their alleged involvement in arson and vandalism on May 9. Shah Mahmood Qureshi was acquitted in this case.
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