An Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) in Pakistan today ordered the seizure of properties of opposition leader Imran Khan and cleric-turned politician Tahirul Qadri after they failed to appear in hearings of terrorism cases registered against them.
The ATC here heard the case which was registered with the secretariat police station against the duo for committing violence during protests in 2014 which paralysed Islamabad. According to a lawyer, the court also issued notices to relevant police stations and revenue boards to implement the order.
On February 3, the ATC had issued perpetual arrest warrants against Khan, the chairman of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaaf (PTI), and Qadri, the chief of Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT), in a case related to an attack on Senior Superintendent of Police Asmatullah Junejo during the 2014 protests.
Secretariat police had registered a case against several PTI and PAT workers for their alleged involvement in vandalism and attacking SSP Janjejo. ATC judge Sohail Ikram had issued the perpetual arrest warrants after police submitted a report stating that the suspects could not be arrested despite a proclamation being issued.
So far, police have failed to arrest the two leaders due to political reasons and fear of backlash by their supporters. Both Khan and Qadri have also demanded Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's resignation in the wake of the Panama papers leak.
