PHC halts arrest of Ali Amin Gandapur

The Peshawar High Court has halted the arrest of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur in all cases registered against him, so far. Additionally, the court has issued an order not to arrest him until September 21 in a writ petition filed against a non-bailable arrest warrant issued by a police station in Bara Kahu, Islamabad.

The case was heard by a two-member bench of the Peshawar High Court, comprising Justices Syed Arshad Ali and Shahid Khan.

During the hearing, Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur, along with his lawyers Ali Zaman and Alam Khan Adinzai, appeared in court. Gandapur's lawyers informed the court that their client had already secured bail in more than 100 cases. However, the previous day, an Islamabad court issued a non-bailable warrant against him in a liquor seizure case, despite an exemption request, which was rejected. Consequently, the arrest warrant was issued. The lawyers argued that Gandapur is the chief minister and has been appearing in courts, but if he attends now, he will be arrested. They, therefore, requested transit bail.

The lawyers also stated that the federal government seeks to arrest the petitioner, and cases have been registered against him in Punjab, Sindh, and Islamabad, some of which have been concealed from him. Justice Arshad Ali asked how much time the petitioner required to prepare for the cases, to which his team replied that they needed at least a month and a half.

The judge responded by noting that the such a duration was too long, and that the court would decide the timeframe. The lawyers further stated that there are also cases in Punjab courts and that Gandapur has to appear in Islamabad as well.

They mentioned that their party has a rally on September 8, and the chief minister wishes to appear in court after that. They requested that until then, relevant authorities be ordered not to arrest the petitioner.

The honorable bench granted Ali Amin Gandapur transit bail, including in the case of the non-bailable arrest warrant, and instructed him to appear before the relevant courts. Furthermore, the court sought a response from the relevant institutions while halting his arrest.

Speaking after the hearing, Gandapur said that those party members involved in conspiracies will be taught a lesson they won't forget. He mentioned that Shakil Khan was removed from the communication and works ministry based on the recommendation of a committee formed by Imran Khan.

"One cannot steal and be arrogant at the same time; this won't work," he remarked. The CM also criticised K-P Governor Faisal Karim Kundi, calling him insignificant and referring to him as a "parchi" (a person appointed based on a slip of paper).