ATC indicts Ali Zaidi, nine other PTI leaders for violence, terrorism.

KARACHI -- An anti-terrorism court Saturday indicted around 10 PTI leaders, including six sitting lawmakers, on charges of violating the Section 144 ban, arson, attempt to murder, and terrorism during the party's long march held in May.

PTI Sindh President Ali Zaidi along with the six MPAs - Khurrum Sher Zaman, Syed Firdous Shamim Naqvi, Arsalan Taj Hussain, Jamaluddin Siddiqui, Bilal Ghafar and Muhammad Ali Aziz - and other leaders and workers were booked in two identical cases for their alleged involvement in violence, arson, assault on policemen, and terrorism at the Numaish intersection on May 25.

As the cases came up for hearing before the ATC-I judge on Saturday, all the accused turned up before the court on bail. The judge read out charges to the accused, who subsequently pleaded not guilty and opted to contest them.

The court then directed the prosecution to present its witnesses to record their statements against the accused persons on the next date. The judge also confirmed the interim bail granted to the PTI leaders.

According to the prosecution, the PTI leaders in violation of the ban imposed on public gatherings under Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) had taken out a rally of 600 to 700 workers and gathered at Numaish.

They allegedly provoked party workers to block the road, vandalise government properties, and raise anti-state slogans.

The rally was held after PTI chief Imran Khan had given a countrywide call for the long march towards the federal capital, demanding of the government...