ATC Targets PTI with Arrest Warrants for 50 Leaders

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On July 31, 2025, the Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) in Islamabad issued non-bailable arrest warrants for 50 senior leaders of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), intensifying legal pressure on the opposition party. The warrants stem from a protest on November 26, 2024, and name prominent figures including former President Dr. Arif Alvi, National Assembly Opposition Leader Omar Ayub, Senate Opposition Leader Shibli Faraz, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur, and Imran Khan’s sister, Aleema Khanum, as reported by Geo.tv.

The ATC, presided over by Judge Abul Hasnat Zulqarnain, issued 41 new warrants under First Information Report (FIR) No. 1193 filed at Karachi Company Police Station. Nine additional warrants had already been issued, bringing the total to 50. The court accused these leaders of inciting unrest during the November protest in Islamabad’s Red Zone, which was organized to demand the release of PTI founder Imran Khan. The demonstration ended with a police crackdown that dispersed more than 1,000 protesters. According to The Express Tribune, some key figures allegedly fled the scene during the operation.

The warrants also target PTI Secretary General Salman Akram Raja, Senators Faisal Javed and Azam Swati, and former lawmakers Asad Qaiser, Hammad Azhar, and Murad Saeed. Additional names include PTI Information Secretary Sheikh Waqas Akram and Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) chief Sahibzada Hamid Raza.

In a separate case linked to the Faizabad sit-in, Judge Tahir Abbas Supra declared Gandapur an absconder and converted his previously bailable warrants into non-bailable ones, according to Nation.com.pk.

PTI continues to face mounting legal challenges tied to protests in October 2024 and May 2023. While the party’s leadership remains defiant, the issuance of these arrest warrants signals a heightened judicial effort to address what the state deems unlawful political agitation. The developments come at a sensitive time, as PTI weighs its political strategy amid an increasingly complex legal landscape.