An Islamabad district and sessions court on Wednesday issued arrest warrants for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur in a case concerning alleged liquor and illegal weapons recovery. 

The warrants, issued by Judicial Magistrate Mubashir Hassan, came after no representative appeared on Gandapur’s behalf during the hearing.

The court has directed authorities to present him on September 17. This development follows a series of legal proceedings against PTI leaders connected to the May 9 incidents. 

Just a day earlier, an anti-terrorism court in Lahore acquitted senior PTI leader Shah Mahmood Qureshi but handed down 10-year prison sentences to Yasmin Rashid,

Ejaz Chaudhry, Mian Mehmood-ur-Rasheed, and Umar Sarfraz Cheema in a case related to violence at Rahat Bakery Chowk, where a Supreme Court judge’s car was set ablaze.

PTI leader Khadija Shah was sentenced to five years, while Rubina Jameel and Afshan Tariq were acquitted.

Last month, the Election Commission of Pakistan also de-notified several PTI lawmakers, including Senator Shibli Faraz and Omar Ayub Khan, following their convictions in May 9-related cases.

These legal developments highlight the deepening political and humanitarian crisis, as leaders face imprisonment, families are impacted, and communities continue to feel the ripple effects of the unrest.

At the heart of these trials lies the urgent need for justice, fairness, and a path toward reconciliation that prioritises people over politics.