K-P CM faces arrest after Islamabad court issues non-bailable warrant in liquor case

An Islamabad district and sessions court has issued non-bailable arrest warrant for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur.

The warrant came in connection with a liquor and arms recovery case from 2016 when police had recovered weapons and liquor from Gandapur’s car outside the residence of then PTI chairman Imran Khan as he came to attend the party’s planned lockdown of the capital.

The provincial minister came in a motorcade along with 300-plus PTI workers. When they reached Banigala, the police blocked them off and told them they were violating a ban on rallies and gatherings under Section 144 before directing them to disperse.

When the PTI supporters accompanying Gandapur refused to disperse, the police began arresting them.

In the meantime, Gandapur got out of his car and ran into the adjacent forest. The police said they found a man sitting in Gandapur’s SUV (APL-16) holding a teargas gun. The man was identified as Allah Nawaz, a resident of DI Khan – Gandapur’s hometown.

While searching the car, the police recovered a sealed bottle of high-end whisky, a bulletproof vest, two submachine guns, ammunition, and two number plates (YH-115).

The police claim that the weapons were unlicensed, while the PTI leader claims they were licensed weapons and belonged to his security guards. He claimed the whisky bottle had honey in it.

On Wednesday, the warrant was issued after Civil Judge Shaista Khan Kundi rejected Gandapur's request for exemption from personal appearance on medical grounds.

The court has ordered the SHO of Bhara Kahu police station to arrest Gandapur and present him in court on the following day.

Gandapur had earlier sought exemption due to health issues, claiming he was unable to appear due to a leg injury sustained during flood relief efforts in KP.

In a separate case, an anti-terrorism court adjourned the hearing of Gandapur's pre-arrest bail plea in a terrorism-related case until September 10, after his lawyer presented a medical certificate citing his health condition.