Rawalpindi: An Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) in Rawalpindi on Wednesday issued a non-bailable arrest warrant for Aleema Khan for the fourth time, in connection with cases stemming from the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) protests held on November 26 last year.

Presiding over the hearing, ATC Judge Amjad Ali Shah expressed frustration over Aleema Khan’s repeated failure to appear in court despite multiple summons. The court also ordered the forfeiture of her surety bonds worth Rs100,000 and issued a show-cause notice to her guarantor, Umar Sharif, directing him to respond by October 24. Furthermore, Aleema was directed to furnish two new surety bonds of Rs1 million each.

The court also summoned Rawalpindi SP Rao Muhammad Saad and DSP Naeem on contempt of court charges after declaring their reports about Aleema’s disappearance as false. Both officers are required to appear in person on October 24.

Aleema Khan is implicated in cases related to the PTI’s November 26, 2024 protest, which saw supporters enter Islamabad defying a ban on public gatherings. The protests escalated into violent clashes with law enforcement near D-Chowk, where police resorted to teargas to disperse demonstrators. The three-day protests ended abruptly after the confrontations.

The November 26 protest was organized to pressurize the government into releasing PTI founder Imran Khan, who has been imprisoned since August 2023 on multiple charges ranging from corruption to terrorism following his removal from office via a no-confidence motion in April 2022.

During the hearing, the judge questioned how Aleema could be in hiding while her media statements outside Adiala Jail were still being broadcast, expressing clear dissatisfaction with the situation. The court adjourned the proceedings until October 24.