LAHORE: An anti-terrorism court on Tuesday initiated the process of declaring seven PTI leaders proclaimed offenders in a case related to the torching of police vehicles near Lahore`s Rahat Bakery Chowk during the May 9 riots.

The investigating officer of Sarwar Road Police Station informed the court through an application that the suspects could not be apprehended despite hectic efforts as they had gone into hiding to avoid arrest.

He said non-bailable arrest warrants had already been issued for the suspects, but they failed to surrender to the law.

He asked the court to start proceedings to declare the suspects proclaimed offenders.

Judge Abher Gul Khan allowed the application and approved proceedings under sections 87 and 88 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) against the absconding PTI leaders, including Hammad Azhar, Mian Aslam Iqbal, Samar Mashoog, Malik Haider Ali, Fayaz Anwar, Muhammad Adnan and Muhammad Qasim.

Separately, an anti-terrorism court on Tuesday dismissed an application of PTI Vice Chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi for non-prosecution.

Through the application, Mr Qureshi sought to restore his pre-arrest bail petitions in six cases of May 9 violent protests.

Judge Arshad Javed took up the application.

However, no one appeared on behalf of Mr Qureshi during the hearing, prompting the judge to dismiss the plea for nonprosecution.