ISLAMABAD: Separate cases were registered against the leaders and activists of the PTI, including former prime minister Imran Khan and 28 other people, police said on Wednesday.

Among those arrested were officials from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa police as well as private guards.

One of the cases was registered with Ramna police station on a complaint lodged by Station House Officer (SHO) Rasheed Ahmed.

According to the first information report (FIR), a mob under the leadership of PTI Chairman Imran Khan came to the Judicial Complex in G-11/1 and chanted provocative slogans. The charged mob of leaders and activists holding batons, stones, weapons and party flags reached the main gate of the complex and tried to enter it forcefully, the FIR said, adding that assistant commissioner Potohar and other officers asked them to stop at the gate, but they ignored and scuffled with the officers and officials on duty.

FIR states mob threatened officials on duty, damaged official property; ATC grants pre-arrest interim bail to Senator Shahzad Waseem, Raja Khurram Nawaz

The mob also broke the main gate and other hurdles and entered the complex’s premises, the FIR said, adding that it threatened people who had come for the hearing and officers deployed on security duty.

The charged activists broke the CCTV cameras installed there and damaged official property, it said, adding that they also tore the cause list and broke furniture.

The former prime minister, Raja Khurram Nawaz, Murad Saeed, Ali Nawaz, Jamshaid Mughal, Hassan Niazi, Ahmad Khan Niazi, Abdul Qudoos Khan Swati, Amir Kiani, Farrukh Habib, Dr Shahzad Wasim, Raja Basharat, Tahir Sadiq, Wasiq Qayyum, Shibli Faraz, Mian Aslam, retired Col Asim, Chaudhry Mudasir Riaz, Omer Sultan, Ghulam Sarwar and Hammad Azhar were nominated along with 250 activists.

Ramna police registered another case against 20 PTI leaders along with 150 activists. The content of the FIR is almost identical to the previous one, except that Islamabad High Court (IHC) has replaced Judicial Complex, G-11/1. The sequence of the names nominated in the FIR has also slightly been changed.

According to the FIR, a mob under the leadership of Imran came to the IHC and tried to enter the court’s premises. They broke the main gate and other hurdles put in place, damaged official property and threatened officials on duty, it said.

As many as 29 people were arrested, police said, adding that most of them were officials of KP police who were performing security duties with former MPAs as well as their private security guards.

Meanwhile, a case has yet to be registered on the complaint lodged against the police for manhandling journalists.

There were some reports that the inspector general of police (IGP) Islamabad and the chief commissioner had been called to the IHC and were asked to meet with the journalists and resolve the issue, the police officials said.

Meanwhile, the public relations officer (PRO) for the police said there was only one KP police official and one private security guard among the arrested people. He confirmed that the case in response to the journalists’ manhandling incident was yet to be registered as an inquiry had been ordered.

Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Operation Malik Jamil Zaffar is conducting the inquiry and the journalists were asked to appear before them, but so far they have not, he added.

Meanwhile, the Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) of Islamabad on Wednesday granted pre-arrest interim bail to PTI leaders Senator Shahzad Waseem and Raja Khurram Nawaz in a case related to vandalism in the Federal Judicial Complex (FJC) during the appearance of former prime minister and PTI Chairman Imran Khan.

ATC Judge Raja Jawad Abbas Hassan granted them pre-arrest interim bail against Rs100,000 surety bonds each. They had sought pre-arrest bail in the case registered with Ramna police. Further hearing in this matter has been adjourned till March 13.

A case was registered against suspects on various charges, including 7-ATA (Anti-Terrorism Act) and Section 353 of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC). The police statement said leaders of a political party incited the mob to create a law and order situation.

The PTI chairman appeared before the ATC and Special Court on Offences in Banks in connection with two different cases.

The ATC granted him interim bail in the case related to manhandling of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Mohsin Nawaz Ranjha by PTI workers. The Special Court on Offences in Banks confirmed his pre-arrest bail in the first information report (FIR) registered by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) against Mr Khan and others in connection with the prohibited funding case. —

Additional reporting by Malik Asad

Published in Dawn, March 2nd, 2023