Court issues non-bailable arrest warrants for K-P CM Sohail Afridi

Islamabad court issues warrants due to non-appearance as Afridi gears up for Karachi visit on 9 Jan

An Islamabad court on Saturday issued non-bailable arrest warrants for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi in a case involving alleged misleading statements against state institutions.

Senior Civil Judge Abbas Shah of the District and Sessions Court, Islamabad, issued the warrants after Afridi failed to appear before the court during the hearing.

The case relates to allegations that Afridi made misleading remarks against state institutions and damaged their credibility. The National Cyber Crimes Investigation Agency registered the case under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) 2016.

Read: PTI shifts mobilisation to the south

PECA is Pakistan’s primary legal framework dealing with cybercrime, data protection and electronic offences.

The court directed authorities to arrest Afridi and produce him before the court. The hearing was adjourned until January 17.

The development comes as Afridi prepares to take Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s street movement to Sindh. After a three-day visit to Punjab as part of the campaign, he sent a two-page protest letter to Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz.

Read More: Afridi writes to Maryam over 'hostile treatment'

Afridi is scheduled to visit Karachi on January 9 as part of the next phase of the drive.

PTI announced the countrywide street movement after the party’s founder and former prime minister Imran Khan and his wife were sentenced to 17 years in prison in the Toshakhana-II case. Imran Khan has directed Afridi to build momentum for a major show of power planned for February 8.