PHC stops police from arresting PTI candidate

PESHAWAR: The Peshawar High Court (PHC) on Monday stopped the law-enforcement agencies, including the police, from arresting independent candidate for provincial assembly constituency PK-95 Imran Khan belonging to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).

Taking up the writ petition, Justice Shakeel Ahmad and Justice Waqar Ahmad sought a reply from the government in the case and ordered the respondents to provide details of the cases against the petitioner.

Fazle Maula Advocate appearing for the petitioner told the court that his client Imran Khan aligned with the PTI was an independent candidate running for PK-95. He sought court orders to provide the details of the cases against his client. The counsel said his client intended to run his election campaign in the constituency but he feared that he might be arrested by the law-enforcement agencies.

The additional advocate general told the court that the police had nominated the petitioner in a case, however, he had secured bail from the relevant court. Justice Shakeel Ahmad remarked that the police arrested an accused in another case despite getting bail. The lawyers representing the National Accountability Bureau and the Federal Investigation Agency told the court that the petitioner was not wanted by them. After hearing the arguments, the court ordered the law-enforcement agencies not to arrest the independent candidate and adjourned the proceedings till January 25.