LAHORE: An anti-terrorism court on Saturday issued nonbailable warrants for the arrest of an underage driver and his father for skipping trial proceedings against them on charges of killing six people in a car accident in the Defence Housing Authority (DHA).

Earlier, Judge Shahid Sikandar took exception to the absence of prime accused Afnan, the juvenile driver, and his father, Shafgat Ali.

The judge issued non-bailable arrest warrants for both the accused and directed the SHO concerned to ensure their arrest and production before the court.

He also cancelled bonds pre-viously furnished by the accused for their bail.

During the proceedings, prosecution witnesses appeared to record their statements. However, the judge directed them to appear again on the next hearing on April 22.

The charges have already been framed against Afnan and his father following a challan submitted by the prosecution.

The Defence police had registered the FIR in 2023 on a complaint of Rafaqat Ali, who lost his wife Rukhsana Bibi (45), son Husnain (25), daughter-in-law Ayesha (23), son-inlaw Sajjad (30), four-month-old grandson Huzaifa, and granddaughter Anaya (4) in the deadly road accident.

Friends of the underage driver, including Ali Abdullah, Muhammad Saad and Muhammad Ibrahim, have also been declared guilty of multiple offences in the police challan.

The investigation report said the underage suspect and his friends first harassed the women passengers before hitting their car. Shafgat, a property dealer, had been accused of illegally letting his underage son drive.

The Lahore High Court had granted post-arrest bail to the juvenile driver in September 2024.