On August 1, 2025, an Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) in Islamabad issued arrest warrants for 50 Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders for november protests, including former President Arif Alvi, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur, and Aleema Khan, sister of PTI founder Imran Khan. The warrants stem from the leaders’ failure to appear in court for cases tied to protests held on November 26, 2024, in Islamabad’s Karachi Company area. The demonstrations, led by PTI supporters demanding the release of Imran Khan, who remains incarcerated, turned violent, resulting in clashes with security forces, at least six deaths, and over 1,000 arrests.
List of Leaders Amid November Protests
The ATC, presided over by Judge Abual Hasanat Mohammad Zulqarnain, expanded the warrant list to include prominent figures such as Senators Shibli Faraz and Faisal Javed, former National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser, and PTI Information Secretary Raoof Hassan. The court cited repeated non-compliance with summons as the reason for the orders. A separate ATC in Rawalpindi had previously issued warrants for Alvi and others, including Imran Khan’s wife, Bushra Bibi, for related charges last week.
The November protests saw PTI convoys converge on Islamabad’s D-Chowk, defying a ban on public gatherings. Reports indicate protesters used slingshots and tear gas shells, while security forces responded with tear gas and rubber bullets. The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan has called for an independent inquiry into allegations of excessive force and hospital cover-ups regarding victim casualties. Posts on X reflect public division, with some condemning the crackdown and others questioning PTI’s protest tactics.
This development follows a broader legal clampdown on PTI, with a Faisalabad ATC sentencing leaders like Omar Ayub and Zartaj Gul to 10 years for their roles in May 9, 2023, riots. The ongoing cases highlight tensions between PTI and the government, raising concerns about political freedoms and judicial impartiality in Pakistan.
Published in SouthAsianDesk, August 1st, 2025
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