• ATC Rawalpindi orders arrest of PTI founder’s sister in Nov 26 PTI protest case
• In Islamabad, a court issues arrest warrant for KP CM under Peca
RAWALPINDI/ISLAMABAD: Courts in twin cities on Tuesday issued non-bailable arrest warrants in two separate cases involving senior PTI figures Aleema Khanum, sister of party founder Imran Khan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi.
The Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) in Rawalpindi issued a non-bailable arrest warrant for Ms Khan in connection with the November 26 PTI protest case registered at Sadiqabad police station.
ATC Judge Amjad Ali Shah ruled that there was no legal justification for Ms Khan’s absence from court proceedings, noting that she neither appeared nor sought an exemption.
Her counsel, Faisal Malik, also failed to attend the hearing, prompting the court to proceed with the case in their absence.
The court accepted the request of Special Prosecutor Zaheer Shah to include NCCI official Salman Niaz as a prosecution witness and adjourned the hearing until Wednesday (today).
Earlier, the same court rejected Ms Khan’s petition seeking removal of terrorism charges, dismissing her challenge to the court’s jurisdiction under the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA).
Judge Amjad Ali Shah ruled that the case fell within the scope of the ATA, rejecting the defence’s argument that protest-related charges should not be tried in an anti-terrorism court.
Ms Khan is accused of relaying a message from her brother Imran Khan from Adiala jail, allegedly calling for nationwide protests, which prosecutors claim led to violence.
Special Prosecutor Zaheer Shah argued that the Faizabad protest turned violent, resulting in injuries to police officers and gunfire striking a police van – actions that, he said, met the legal threshold for terrorism.
The prosecution also accused the defence of employing delaying tactics, including seeking adjournments due to a lawyers’ strike.
During earlier proceedings, the court ordered the unfreezing of bank accounts belonging to the Shaukat Khanum Memorial Trust and Namal University, clarifying that prosecutors had never requested their freezing.
The November 26 protests saw PTI supporters march towards Islamabad despite government restrictions, clashing with security personnel in the Red Zone.
Following the unrest, multiple cases were registered under the PPC and Section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act at Taxila, Sadiqabad, and Naseerabad police stations.
Proceedings in the Sadiqabad case continue at the ATC Rawalpindi.
KP CM’s warrant
Meanwhile, an Islamabad court issued a non-bailable arrest warrant for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi in a case pertaining to misleading statements against state institutions and damage to their reputation.
The case was registered by the National Cyber Crime Investigation Authority (NCCIA) under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (Peca), 2016, following allegations that the chief minister made false and defamatory claims against state institutions.
During the hearing, Senior Civil Judge Abbas Shah noted that CM Afridi had once again failed to appear despite being summoned multiple times. Subsequently, the judge ordered his immediate arrest and directed law enforcement authorities to ensure his production before the court. The hearing was then adjourned till Feb 21.
Published in Dawn, February 11th, 2026
