9 May GHQ Attack Case: Indictment Against Shireen Mazari and 8 Others; Shah Mehmood Qureshi’s Indictment Deferred

Rawalpindi: In the case related to the 9 May GHQ attack, an indictment was issued against former federal minister Shireen Mazari and eight other accused. Additionally, PTI’s senior leader and former foreign minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi was transferred from Kot Lakhpat Jail in Lahore to Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi, though the proceedings for his indictment were deferred.
On the same day, 14 cases related to the tragic events of 9 May were heard in Rawalpindi’s Anti-Terrorism Court. Judge Amjad Ali Shah conducted proceedings inside Adiala Jail, where all accused were marked present. Following the proceedings, the court adjourned the hearings for 13 cases related to the 9 May incident until 6 January.
One of the cases, involving the GHQ attack, was heard in the presence of former interior minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed, former human rights minister Shireen Mazari, and former Punjab law minister Raja Basharat, among others. PTI founder Imran Khan was also brought to court for the proceedings.
Meanwhile, 23 accused, including Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur, failed to appear before the court, leading the prosecution to file a request for the cancellation of their bail.
During the proceedings, indictments were formally presented against Shireen Mazari, Raja Rashid Khaffeez, Khadam Hussain, Zakarullah, Azim Ullah Khan, Major Tahir Sadiq, Mehr Mohammad Javed, and Chaudhry Asif. The court issued notices to all the accused and adjourned the case until 19 December.
Prosecutor Zahir Shah mentioned that Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Ajmal Sabir, and Sikandar Bajwa refused to sign the indictment sheet. They argued that there was insufficient evidence against them in the charges, and they had filed a Section 265-D application. As a result, the court postponed their indictment.
After the session, PTI leaders, including Fawad Chaudhry, Babar Awan, and Sheikh Rashid, met with Imran Khan in court. However, Imran Khan did not address the media following the proceedings.
Subsequently, the police transferred Shah Mehmood Qureshi back to Lahore under tight security.
In related developments, the Islamabad Anti-Terrorism Court deferred hearings for cases related to PTI leadership’s involvement in protests and vandalism. The court postponed proceedings for cases registered at I-9 Police Station until 8 January. MNA Khurram Nawaz appeared in court, while PTI’s Faisal Javed Khan submitted a request for exemption from attendance.
Furthermore, the court adjourned hearings for two other cases registered at Khanna Police Station until 13 January, and a case from Bara Kahu Police Station was deferred until 6 January.