Court annuls order declaring Gandapur proclaimed offender

A district and sessions court in Islamabad annulled on Thursday the trial court’s order declaring PTI leader and K-P Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur as a proclaimed offender in a case pertaining to the recovery of arms and liquor.

Judge Shahrukh Arjumand heard Gandapur’s petition with the petitioner's lawyer Raja Zahoorul Hasan and prosecutor Mohammad Salman Khan in attendance.

During the hearing, the court also granted an exemption to Gandapur from personal appearance due to his "busy official schedule".

After the arguments concluded, the court ruled in favour of the K-P chief minister and stated in its order that the "server did not comply with the process and the notices and could not be received by the accused. Therefore the proceedings under Sections 87 and 88 against the accused are being closed while the petitioner submits bond worth Rs50,000 along with a local surety”.

Read: Police launch manhunt for May 9 ‘proclaimed offenders’

The court also sent the case back to the trial court and adjourned the hearing till March 14.

The Bahara Kahu police station had registered a case against Gandapur with charges of arms and liquor recovery from possession.

In a similar declaration by the court against several PTI leaders, an anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Lahore had declared PTI’s 10 former and present leaders proclaimed offenders, including Hammad Azhar and Mian Aslam Iqbal, in a case registered against them in response to May 9 riots.

PTI leaders had been allegedly responsible for creating law and order situation and involved in arson attacks following the arrest of former premier Imran Khan on May 9.

An FIR had been registered against them in Model Town police station under different sections.