Nine more suspects including Shireen Mazari indicted in GHQ attack case

• All defendants plead not guilty during hearing at Adiala jail. 
• Imran Khan presented before ATC judge Amjad Ali Shah. 
• Rawalpindi ATC adjourns hearing till December 19. 

RAWALPINDI: An anti-terrorism court (ATC) in the garrison city on Monday indicted nine suspects, including Shireen Mazari and others including Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders in GHQ attack case. 

The development comes days after PTI founder Imran Khan was formally charged for his involvement in the arson and vandalism at the General Headquarters in Rawalpindi during the May 9 mayhem. 

The nine more suspects, who have been arraigned in the case besides former federal minister Mazari are PTI leaders Rashid Hafiz, Khadim Hussain Khokhar, Zakirullah, Azeemullah, Tahir Sadiq, Mehar Javed, Chaudhry Asif and Munir. 

All defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges during the hearing, presided over by ATC Judge Amjad Ali Shah at a make-shift court set up in Rawalpindi's Adiala Jail.

The court had summoned the suspects for today's hearing session. Khan was also produced before the judge, while former PTI vice-chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi was brought to the facility from Lahore's Kot Lakhpat jail, where he has been incarcerated. 

Prosecution lawyers requested the court to cancel the bails of the suspects who skipped the hearing 

"They are deliberately delaying the trial," the prosecution contended. 

Meanwhile, a plea to halt the indictment process was filed on Qureshi's behalf under Section 265-D of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC), on the basis of insufficient evidence. 

The court accepted the plea, fixing it for hearing on December 19, and adjourned the proceedings. 

The proceedings have been adjourned until 19 December.

At least 70 PTI leaders, including Khan, face allegations of planning the May 9 events and inciting the workers and supporters to attack military and government installations following the arrest of the ousted prime minister by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) in 2023. 

During the protests, the miscreants targeted the civil and military installations including — Jinnah House and the General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi. The military termed May 9 "Black Day" and decided to try the protesters under the Army Act.

The PTI founder, however, blames the “agencies men” for arson and shooting in some areas during the May 9 violent protests.

The then-government as well as the one currently ruling parties have time and again blamed the PTI founder and the party's senior leadership for engineering attacks on the military installations.